The County of Orange in coordination with Unified Command announces the closure of Newport Beach Harbor effective today at 11:00 am due to the oil spill. In addition, OC Parks is announcing the closure of Bayside Beach, located in Newport Beach Harbor.
Boats will not be allowed to enter or exit Newport Beach Harbor at this time. Impacted boaters are requested to go to Huntington Beach Harbor or Long Beach Harbor. At this time there is no date or time as to re-opening Newport Beach Harbor.
As the oil slick continues to move, discussions are underway of the possible closure of harbors south of Newport Beach Harbor. Boaters are advised to make preparations at this time.
The US Coast Guard is the lead agency coordinating the response to the oil spill incident. A unified command has been established and consists of Amplify Energy, the US Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. More information about the unified command response may be found at www.SoCalspillresponse.com.
Members of the public are asked to avoid assisting with cleanup in the oiled areas. Trained spill response contractors are working to clean up the oil. Public volunteers are not requested at this time, but information can be found at https://calspillwatch.wildlife.ca.gov/Volunteer. If anyone encounters oiled wildlife, please avoid contact and call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network at 1-877-823-6926.
