HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - One of the largest oil spills in recent California history over the weekend closed beaches and continued to threaten wildlife, as officials on Monday worked to determine where and why the leak occurred.
An estimated 126,000 gallons of heavy crude oil spilled into the waters off Orange County starting late Friday or early Saturday, according to officials.
The leak became known when boaters began reporting a sheen in the water. The U.S Coast Guard took the lead in the response to the spill, which covers about 5.8 nautical miles between the Huntington Beach Pier and Newport Beach.