Cause of California pipeline leak still unknown, impact may be felt “for generations”

On Saturday, a pipeline leak off Huntington Beach, California, spilled at least 126,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean, the Los Angeles Times reports. By Tuesday, the cause was still unknown, and ABC News revealed that the U.S. Coast Guard reported the possible spill more than 12 hours before Amplify Energy, the company that owns the pipeline, launched cleanup efforts. The pipeline is no longer actively leaking, but regulators are just beginning to assess its impact: Dead birds and fish have washed ashore, beaches are closed for swimming, and commercial and recreational fisheries are closed. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer told CNN he expects the environmental and economic impacts of the spill will be felt “for generations.”