Environmental disaster: California races to limit oil spill damage

Crews on the water and on shore worked feverishly to limit environmental damage from one of the largest oil spills in recent California history, caused by a suspected leak in an underwater pipeline that fouled the sands of famed Huntington Beach and could keep the beaches there closed for weeks or longer.

Oil and an oil containment booms seen in the water of the Talbert Marshlands area from an offshore oil rig as it reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Workers in boats try to clean up floating oil near gulls in the Talbert Marshlands as a 3,000-barrel oil spill, about 126,000 gallons, from an offshore oil rig reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil floats in the water of the Talbert Marshlands as a 3,000-barrel oil spill, about 126,000 gallons, from an offshore oil rig reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Heavy equipment is used to block oil in the ocean from reaching the Talbert Marshlands from an offshore oil rig as it reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil floats in the water of the Talbert Marshlands as a 3,000-barrel oil spill, about 126,000 gallons, from an offshore oil rig reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil is seen on the beach in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil is seen on the beach in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Heavy equipment is used at sunset to block oil in the ocean from reaching the Talbert Marshlands a 3,000-barrel oil spill, about 126,000 gallons, from an offshore oil rig as it reaches the shore and sensitive wildlife habitats in Newport Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

A person stands near oil washed up on Huntington State Beach after an oil spill from an offshore oil platform, in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil stains are left behind on the State Beach that was closed down after a major oil spill off the coast of California has come ashore in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Cleanup contractors collect oil in plastic bags trying to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Workers use heavy machinery to make a berm to keep out further oil from coming into the controlled basin after a major oil spill off the coast of California has come ashore in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil is shown washed up in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

A bird walks through a small oil slick in the Talbert Channel after a major oil spill off the coast of California has come ashore in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Oil slicks float on the water in the Talbert Channel after an oil spill off the coast of California has come ashore in Huntington beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.

Patches of an oil spill wash off the beach south of the Pier in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., Oct. 3, 2021.