State and federal officials are investigating an oil slick spotted in the ocean off of a South Coast beach.
The oil is off of Summerland. The non-profit environmental group “Heal The Ocean” is monitoring the situation, and state and federal officials are investigating.
There are no operating oil wells or pipelines in the area.
However, from the late 1800’s to around 1940, there were hundreds of oil wells along the coast in the Summerland area. They were capped, but there’s been an ongoing issue with leaks. It’s possible the rough seas from the recent storm might have been a factor. There’s also the possibility the oil could be from a natural seep.
