An extensive cleanup effort has been launched in Los Angeles after a ruptured pipeline released crude oil into the L.A. River.
The Office of Spill Prevention and Response confirmed in a statement that the pipe in East Los Angeles was struck by a telecommunications contractor on Friday morning. As a result, crude oil flowed into nearby storm drains.
Wildlife officials told ABC7 that more than 2,000 gallons of crude oil were released from the pipeline near East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Eastern Avenue into the storm drains, which spill into the river.
“We know that this community is impacted, and we know that roads are shut down,” Kristina Werner, a spokesperson for the OSPR, told the outlet. “We know that it’s an impact, so we just ask for everyone’s patience and just keep in mind, we will do this as quickly and as properly as we can.”
The department has confirmed that efforts to contain the spill have been underway in recent days.
Footage captured by local news showed crews in hazmat suits cleaning oil along the shoreline. Oil-absorbing containment booms have also been deployed in Long Beach to prevent the spill from reaching the ocean.
“We have crews, really, almost like roadblocks on the river, setting up different containment zones to make sure that this product doesn’t get anywhere near the ocean,” Werner told the outlet.
Meanwhile, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network said in a statement that oiled birds have been collected from around the L.A River and have been rushed to the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care & Education Center to be cleaned. Around 25 birds were in care at the LAOBCEC on Monday, the group said.
Residents living near the pipeline have reported strong fumes since Friday. One resident, Lucy Aculco, told ABC7 that she left her home to stay with her daughter because the odor was so overwhelming.
“No one is telling us anything,” Aculco said. “No one’s telling us: ‘Hey, you know what? Keep the windows closed. This is going on.’
“How long is it going to be going on?”
Aculco added, “I’m asthmatic, and I have a low immune system.”
Werner has confirmed that air monitoring is underway.
“We have community air monitoring going on at all different locations that crews are working, so it’s community air monitoring, but we also have physical people on the ground walking around with air monitoring tools to make sure that there’s nothing to be concerned about,” she said.
In a statement, the City of Long Beach confirmed that no new oil is entering the river. An oil sheen was observed near the Pacific Coast Highway Bridge on Saturday, leading to the deployment of additional oil-absorbing booms.
No sheens have been detected in the Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore areas. Skimming operations have also begun to remove oil from the river.
Meanwhile, the city’s homeless services team is conducting outreach along the river to “offer services” and inform people about the current situation.
L.A. County Fire Captain Aaron Katon told The Los Angeles Times that the pipe burst after a telecommunications crew bored a 6-inch hole that was ten feet underground to lay fiber-optic cables. They hit a pipeline that transports crude oil from Kern County to the Port of Los Angeles.
The Independent has contacted the Office of Spill Prevention and Response for comment.
