The slick is unrelated to last year’s spillage when the anchor of a cargo ship ruptured an underwater pipeline.

On Oct. 1, 2021 a commercial ship reported a possible oil spill near a flotilla of boats moored off Huntington Beach. Four days later, it had become clear that a ship’s anchor had caught a section of Amplify Energy Corp’s eighteen mile long oil pipeline, rupturing the line and bowing a 4,000 foot section, dragging it 105 ft from its original position.

Cargo ships enroute to the Long Beach port, frequently sail above the oil line and are given coordinates to safely anchor while waiting to unload. The anchors of these large cargo vessels can weigh up to ten tons. Satellite images show as many as seven ships traversed the area around the time of the accident.

The rupture allowed 25,000 gallons of crude oil to spill into the ocean and spread into the Talbert Channel. Crude washed onto beaches, restricting fishing for months and affecting marine birds and animals in the area.

Now one year later, on Oct.7, an oil sheen once again appeared in the Talbert Channel. This time the source is believed to be from an abandoned pipeline. Crews working on a flood-control upgrade, first noticed and reported a light sheen in the water. The clean-up began with booms being used to contain the minor slick. No marine was seen to be affected.

A key permit for the underwater repairs of the Amplify line was issued on Sept. 30 2022, almost a year from the date of the anchor accident. Repairs would restore the transport of crude from the Ellie Platform to containers in Long Beach. The restoration could reduce some of the stress of California’s energy demands.

Public officials are unsure of how to solve the problem, as homeless individuals often do not want to be helped.

Huntington Beach has experienced exponential growth in its homeless population in recent years, with city officials resorting to nonprofits and a police task force to deal with ongoing incidents between these individuals and the public, though the homeless continue to deny services.

According to the county’s 2022 Point-In-Time (PIT) calculations–a count conducted every three years estimating the number of homeless individuals in the county–Huntington Beach now has around 330 homeless individuals. And in the 28 square mile city, law enforcement has already intervened multiple times this month via their Homeless Task Force, as per the HBPD’s twitter.

The city’s Homeless Task Force routinely patrols the city, conducting outreach to those experiencing homelessness, according to a statement from HBPD.

As of Aug. 4, the agency has made 46 arrests in the last two months of some of these individuals after they were caught loitering a private parking lot and adjacent areas.

In a statement from the department, HBPD notes its continued effort to work collaboratively with both individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as private citizens in hopes of improving ‘overall quality of life’ through these interventions.

“These arrests, along with our efforts to connect subjects experiencing homelessness to various resources, are done to improve the quality of life for everyone,” HBPD issued in a statement. “We are grateful for the relationships we build with the businesses and residents in the City to ensure the safety of all.”

In addition to previous arrests, HBPD noted its continued efforts to build “positive relationships” with these individuals to connect them to resources, such as temporary housing or drug rehabilitation treatment.

As of Aug. 18, the task force reportedly conducted additional outreach along a stretch of railroad tracks within the city owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad, working alongside the city’s public works department and the railroad.

In addition to their task force, the city has employed a litany of other sources to aid its mission in tackling homelessness, including social workers, non-profits, religious institutions, and local government agencies. Part of the issue, according to officials, is individuals not yet ready to receive help or services.

Southern California beaches like Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Newport Beach will benefit greatly from the project, protecting residents from floods, with areas being widened and restored for beachgoers and tourists to enjoy.

Local leaders gathered at the Newport Beach Balboa Pier on Aug. 16, to celebrate the progress made on the Surfside-Sunset and Newport Beach Sand Replenishment Project.

U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, (R-CA), made a successful direct funding request to the U.S. House of Representatives to include the funding in the Energy and Water Development and Related Agency Funding Bill for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2022).

The narrowed beaches along Orange County’s coast, in part due to erosion, created vulnerabilities which rendered the beaches susceptible to flooding and storm damage.

The $15.5 million secured by Rep. Steel will kickstart the project which is expected to cost $23 million, with the balance of the budget coming from local agencies.

Steel noted that the erosion is a large issue for public safety, which has been ignored for many decades.

“I made a promise to bring sand funding to our district,” Steel said. “We were one natural disaster from devastation.”

The project is about 95% complete pending final environmental approvals. The funding will enable the Army Corp of Engineers, headed by Julie Bolten, to dredge sand 2 miles off the Sunset Beach shoreline, bringing much needed sand to the affected areas.

“And so it really is being able to listen, being able to be transparent but being also able to be excited about this project and what it’s gonna do,” Bolten said.

Re-sanding is expected to begin at the end of 2024, and will take years to replenish impacted areas. Sand deployment will be timed so as to not affect the Grunion run.

Beach erosion of Orange County’s coast can be traced back to a series of federal government projects of the 1940’s, initiated to service new military bases through the construction of jetties and breakwaters and the widening of Anaheim Bay.