Wildlife officials said this weekend that they had found multiple birds covered in oil after a pipeline rupture in East Los Angeles on Friday caused crude oil to spill into storm drains and flow into the Los Angeles River.
The birds were removed from the river and taken to the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center in San Pedro to be treated and cleaned, according to a Saturday statement from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, a collective of universities and wildlife emergency response organizations.
It was not immediately clear how many birds had been affected.
The rupture was reported around 3:20 a.m. Friday near East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern avenues, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
A telecommunications crew drilled a 6-inch hole 10 feet underground to run fiber optic cable and reached an oil pipeline that runs beneath the street and transports crude oil from Kern County to the Port of Los Angeles, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon.
The pipeline spilled approximately 2,400 gallons of crude oil, according to the county Fire Department. It flowed onto surface streets and into nearby storm drains, eventually reaching the river.
The pipeline operator shut it down within 30 minutes. The intersection remained closed Sunday as crews worked to excavate and repair the line.
In a statement Sunday afternoon, the city of Long Beach said officials were monitoring conditions in the Los Angeles River.
“At this time, we understand that no new oil is entering the river,” the statement read. “Current mitigation efforts are focused on addressing the oil that is already present.”
An oil sheen was visible Saturday near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge over the river, the city said. Oil absorbent booms were deployed at multiple points along the waterway, including PCH, Willow Street and Ocean Boulevard.
“Along with placing the barriers, crews have [been] implement skimming operations where there is shine to further remove oil from the river,” the statement read.
Homeless services workers were contacting homeless people near the river to inform them about the spill and offer services, according to the release.
