Oil spill sidelines surfers, hurts shops in California
By AMY TAXIN
Associated Press
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Huntington Beach is still reeling from last week’s underwater pipeline leak that spilled crude into the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. The spill of at least 25,000 gallons and no more than 132,000 gallons of crude has kept the ocean off limits for a week to surfers, swimmers and people who want to walk along the shore. Some surfers headed back to the waves on Sunday but lifeguards told them to get out of the water while workers tasked with clearing the sand of tar toiled nearby. Business owners in the city of 200,000 people said they understand the ocean is closed for safety reasons, but sales are taking a hit.