LOS ANGELES – The Coast Guard continues their response to a report of sheen in the water near Goleta Beach.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach received a call from Santa Barbara County Fire Department at 10:40 a.m., Wednesday reporting that there was a large amount of sheen in the water, 1000 yards off Goleta Beach.
The Coast Guard immediately launched a team from the Marine Safety Detachment in Santa Barbara to investigate. An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Los Angeles, along with a pollution responder, monitored the sheen during an over flight assessment.
Coast Guard responders reported the sheen to be approximately three square miles. Due to the characteristics of the sheen, described as a thin layer of rainbow sheening, it is considered non-recoverable. The sheen is expected to dissipate naturally. For image of the sheen, click here.
Coast Guard crews will continue to investigate the source of the sheen. The investigation includes sampling of tar balls on the beach, obtaining samples of the sheen offshore, and sampling other possible sources such as a nearby platform and vessels that may have been in the area at the time the sheen was reported.
Please contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 or the Coast Guard Command Center at (310) 521-3801 to report oil or other pollution.