Morgan Caplan, morgan.caplan@sierraclub.org
Long Beach, CA – On Saturday, October 15, 2022 an oil slick was discovered off the coast of Alamitas Beach in Long Beach, California near the four THUMS islands – artificial islands formed by five oil companies to produce tens of thousands barrels of oil every day. The four THUMS islands are owned by the State of California and the City of Long Beach and operated by the City and California Resources Corporation. This spill comes just over a year after the 126,000 gallon spill in Orange County - which was caused by a ship's anchor at the port of Long Beach.
In Response Nicole Levin, Sierra Club Campaigner for Dirty Fuels issued the following statement:
“This slick highlights the fact that fossil fuel production has no place, anywhere in California, but especially offshore and near our beaches. How many more oil spills and fossil fuel accidents do we need until the city and the state begins to prioritize public health and the environment? In January the Long Beach Sustainable City Commission made recommendations to ban new oil drilling and study the phase out of existing oil drilling, but Long Beach City Council has yet to adequately act on these recommendations. Long Beach City needs to follow the lead of surrounding cities and work to phase out and clean up their oil wells as quickly as possible to protect public health and the environment.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.