A federal agency wants changes in how containerships are anchored off Southern California as well as new safety measures for vessels near offshore pipelines to help prevent or minimize ruptures like the one that spilled 25,000 gallons of crude oil off Huntington Beach.
The 2021 spill caused damage to beaches and wetlands and killed scores of fish and birds.
After a sweeping, two-year review, the National Transportation Safety Board released findings Dec. 5 that the Orange County spill was a direct result of containerships anchoring in close proximity to offshore pipelines. The board called for the U.S. Coast Guard to increase the buffer between anchored ships and pipelines.
