In a press release issued on Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state’s Department of Justice. The investigation will “determine the cause of the spill and what, if anything, could have been done to prevent or minimize the disaster,” according to the release.
“The oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach is an environmental disaster with far-reaching consequences for our fish and wildlife, for our communities, and for our economy,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) also weighed in, stating that “Already, this oil has seeped into environmentally sensitive wetlands, endangering birds and other wildlife, and forcing the closure of beaches that are the economic engines of entire communities.”
The release comes a week after the oil spill, which has already resulted in litigation from impacted seafood businesses. Reports indicate that the beach closed the area’s famed beaches, which have reopened by the time of publication.
Bonta also noted in the release that he recently expanded the state Department of Justice’s Bureau of Environmental Justice “in order to better assist and lift up the voices of those communities that live at the intersection of poverty and pollution.”
