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u.s. news Diasabra 30 OctOber 2021

California oil spill: Surfing, swimming OK but fishing out

(AP) — Four weeks after ing out fishing about half as tially feared the worst when
an oil spill washed blobs of much as usual. “I don’t want they learned about the spill
crude onto Southern Cali- to take the resource when I on Oct. 2. The initial estimate
fornia’s coast, surfers have can’t sell it.” was that the spill might have
returned to the waves and been five times as large as the
people play in the surf. While life along the coast is amount that officials later an-
returning to normal, com- nounced. The Coast Guard
But fishermen still can’t drop mercial fishermen and char- said much of the miles-long
lines in the same waters. ter operators have been hit plume of oil appeared to
especially hard by the clo- break up at sea, limiting the
California has prohibited sures. Some have joined law- impact on sensitive wetland
fishing in an area that ranges suits against pipeline owner areas and wildlife along the
about 6 to 12 miles (9.7 to 19.3 Amplify Energy of Houston coast.
kilometers) off the shores of and say their biggest fear is
Orange County since an un- that the spill’s stigma will Beaches in Huntington
dersea pipeline leaked at least drive away tourists even after Beach, known as “Surf City
about 25,000 gallons (94,635 the oily tar that washed up on USA,” were closed for swim-
liters) of crude oil into the the beaches is long gone. ming and surfing for a week.
Pacific Ocean. But surfers there and in near- along the shore and fish off at area beaches warning that
Eric Zelien, owner of EZ by Newport Beach quickly the coast and sending them fishing is off limits, though a
State environmental health Sportfishing in Hunting- returned to the waves after to a lab for analysis. After the handful of people still drop
experts are conducting stud- ton Beach, said clients have workers cleaned up the sand testing is completed, state of- lines off local piers.
ies to determine whether cancelled fishing trips even and local officials tested the ficials will assess whether the
shellfish and fish are safe though there are plenty of ar- water, deeming it safe to en- fishing grounds closure can Ted Reckas of Laguna Beach
for human consumption — eas where fishing is allowed. ter. be lifted, she said. said he’s been back to swim
a process expected to take Instead of running daily trips, and surf at the beach, but
weeks or longer. he’s now taking out groups But authorities say eating That process took about six since the spill has put on
once or twice a week. fish from the water isn’t the weeks after a 2015 oil spill in hold lobster diving, which he
Scott Breneman, owner of same as swimming in it. Fish Santa Barbara County, north- usually does when the season
West Caught Fish, said he “Most of our out-of-towners in oil spill zones can ingest west of Los Angeles. opens in October.
still fishes for tuna and black are rescheduling their trips. oil, which contains polycyclic
cod well beyond the prohib- It’s kind of like when CO- aromatic hydrocarbons that The spill off Orange Coun- “The whole thing is upsetting
ited area. He said he’s been VID first hit,” he said. can cause cancer if eaten in ty’s coast was caused by a leak to me — not just the lobster
able to keep selling his catch certain amounts, said Susan in the pipeline that ferried fishing,” said Reckas, who
to restaurants but customers “When you hear oil spill, Klasing, chief of the fish, eco- crude oil from three offshore for years has walked from his
aren’t buying like they usu- everyone thinks Exxon Val- toxicology and water section platforms. The cause is under home to the beach to dive
ally do at a popular Newport dez,″ Zelien said, refer- at California’s Office of En- investigation, but federal of- and bring back his catch for
Beach fish market because of ring to the tanker that ran vironmental Health Hazard ficials have said the pipeline friends and family.
concerns about the state fish- aground in 1989 in Prince Assessment. was likely initially damaged
ing ban. William Sound, Alaska and by a ship’s anchor. He added: “Obviously, that
spilled millions of gallons. She said hydrocarbons break was disappointing, but there’s
“People assume that local fish “They panic that the entire down over time, so there’s no Closing fisheries hasn’t only a whole ecosystem of sea life
is contaminated, and we’re ocean is covered with oil and question fishing will resume, walloped those who make that is impacted by this. How
fishing like 90 miles (145 ki- everything is in a state of dis- it’s just a matter of when. their living that way. It’s tak- many oil spills do we need to
lometers) off the beach here, repair.” en away a recreational activ- have before we figure out a
a long ways away,” Breneman State officials are collecting ity for many who live close better way?”
said, adding that he’s head- Environmental advocates ini- samples of shellfish from to the water. Signs are posted

White House renews bid to end ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

(AP) — The Biden ad- Homeland Security Secretary Friday’s opinion showed it achieved “mixed effective-
ministration on Friday Alejandro Mayorkas said the The announcement came a lack of sense of urgency, ness.”
launched a second bid to “Remain in Mexico” policy more than two months after a which U.S. officials dispute.
end a Trump-era policy to likely contributed to a drop federal judge ordered that the Illegal border crossings fell
make asylum-seekers wait in illegal border crossings policy be reinstated “in good Many U.S.-based legal aid sharply after Mexico, fac-
in Mexico for hearings in in 2019 but with “substan- faith,” while leaving an open- groups who have represent- ing Trump’s threat of higher
U.S. immigration court, tial and unjustifiable human ing for the administration to ed asylum-seekers waiting tariffs, acquiesced in 2019 to
while also reaffirming a costs” to asylum-seekers who try again to justify ending it. in Mexico say they will no the policy’s rapid expansion.
commitment to reinstate were exposed to violence longer take such cases, rais- Asylum-seekers were victims
it under court order. while waiting in Mexico. The administration said ear- ing questions about how the of major violence while wait-
lier this month that it ex- U.S. can satisfy Mexico’s in- ing in Mexico and faced a
pected to reinstate the policy, sistence on better access to slew of legal obstacles, such
known officially as “Mi- counsel. Administration of- as access to attorneys and case
grant Protection Protocols,” ficials say they believe there information.
around mid-November, sub- are enough other lawyers
ject to Mexican government who will represent asylum- Mayorkas said Friday that
approval. Mexico wants cases seekers sent back to Mexico. his second review assumed
to generally conclude within the policy caused a signifi-
six months, timely and accu- About 70,000 asylum-seekers cant drop in border cross-
rate access to case informa- have subject to the policy, ings, calling it the strongest
tion and better access to legal which President Donald argument to keep it. Still, he
counsel for asylum-seekers. Trump introduced in Janu- said benefits do not outweigh
ary 2019 and his successor, costs in terms of relations
Some of the administration’s Joe Biden, suspended on his with Mexico, resources and
most prominent pro-immi- first day in office. Mayorkas risks associated with expo-
gration allies say the time it ended the policy in June af- sure to violence while wait-
took for Mayorkas to draft ter an internal review, saying ing in Mexican border cities.