Senator Min Responds to Active Oil Spill Investigation in Huntington Beach

(HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) – Today, Senator Dave Min released the following statement in response to reports from oil operators on Platform Emmy that a sheen was identified 1.5 miles off the coast of Huntington Beach. The Office of Spill Prevention and Response, under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, is investigating the source of the sheen and whether the incident is an active oil spill.

“Last night, an oil sheen was spotted off the coast of Huntington Beach. First responders are working to confirm if this is an active oil spill.  

While we are still awaiting further details, I just want to emphasize that the offshore oil platforms off the coast of California are ticking time bombs. They were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and are long past their expected lifetimes. They are now owned by companies you’ve never heard of, because the major oil companies have long since abandoned their operations. There are no incentives to invest in safety measures or upgrading the infrastructure. There will be more oil spills unless and until these operations are shut down.  

Our beautiful coastline in California is not only a massive economic engine, generating nearly $2 trillion in economic activity, but it is a core part of our identity as Californians. We cannot keep jeopardizing this amazing natural resource we have been blessed with.  

I was disappointed that my bill SB 559, which would have provided a workable framework for immediately shutting down offshore drilling, was quietly killed in our State Senate’s Appropriations Committee earlier this year. While I am leaving the State Legislature after this year, I am hopeful that SB 559 will provide a model for future legislators to take up, in California and at the federal level.”

Senator Dave Min is Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, and was the author of Senate Bill (SB) 559, which would have authorized the California State Lands Commission to negotiate with the owners and operators of leases for offshore oil extraction to end those leases and to terminate them if no agreement could be reached. Senator Min was elected to represent California’s 37th Senate District, which includes the cities of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach, were heavily impacted by the 2021 Orange County Oil Spill.

California has three remaining oil platforms in operation off the Coast of Orange County, Eva, Emmy, and Ester. All three platforms were constructed between 1963 and 1985, and have lasted decades beyond their intended lifespans.

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