Ticking Time Bombs: California Oil Spill Spurs New Calls to Ban Offshore Oil Drilling

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency after a devastating oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach sent up to 144,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. Investigators say a split in an underwater pipeline, likely damaged by a ship anchor, is the source of the oil spill.

The pipeline owner, Texas-based Amplify Energy, didn’t report the leak until 12 hours after the Coast Guard was first notified, and beaches in the area are expected to be closed for months as crews race to minimize the environmental damage. “California’s offshore oil platforms are a ticking time bomb,” says Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s time to shut them down.”

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