JulY 29th, 2015
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
The Coast Guard is responding to a report of an oil sheen in the water near Goleta Beach.
Coast Guard received a call from Santa Barbara County Fire Department at 10:40 a.m., Wednesday reporting that there was a large amount of sheen in the water, 1000 yards off Goleta Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Coast Guard immediately launched a team from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara to investigate. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles, along with pollution responders are also en route to assist with the investigation.
Coast Guard responders reported the sheen to be approximately three square miles. Due to the characteristics of the sheen, described as a thin layer of rainbow sheening, it is considered non-recoverable. The sheen is expected to dissipate naturally.
Coast Guard crews will continue to investigate the source of the sheen. The investigation includes sampling of tar balls on the beach, obtaining samples of the sheen offshore, and sampling other possible sources such as a nearby platform and vessels that may have been in the area at the time the sheen was reported.
The Coast Guard urges the public and boaters to not come in contact with the oil and remain a safe distance from any visible sheen.