In a less-than-festive announcement for beach goers, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued an ocean water closure around Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, following the spilling of approximately 100,000 gallons of sewage discharge into the area. The public is being warned to keep their distance from the ocean water and the now-contaminated wet sand, spanning three quarters of a mile both upstream and downstream from the beach.
This unfortunate event has environmental repercussions beyond just ruining holiday plans, officials are actively advising people to stay clear of the affected zones when it comes to contact with the water or sand—although this won’t do much for the splash of sewage already tainting the site, it's a necessary measure until things are under control, the Department is in the process of conducting water sampling and will keep the closure in effect until bacterial levels are confirmed to be back within health safety standards, according to a bulletin released early Christmas morning.
Those looking for updates on this situation won’t be left in the dark, even as evening falls on Christmas Day; information on the beach's condition can be obtained any time of the day via the County's beach closure hotline at 1-800-525-5662. Additionally, details and a map of the impacted locations are available on the Public Health website—a necessary resource for those wishing to keep abreast of the situation here.
The cause of the spill has not been detailed at this time, but the amounts are significant, with the sewage apparently impacting both the asphalt near the site and flowing to the beach—no small spill and certainly a serious matter for environmental and public health officials alike; rest assured, measures are being taken to monitor and mitigate the damage.
