Fish Reef Project (www.fishreef.org) founder and executive director Chris Goldblatt was walking his dog on the beach and marveling at the loss of beach sand from winter storms when he made an ominous discovery.
Right there, partially awash when waves rolled in, was an old oil well head with a trail of yucky oil trailing away from it in the water, proving it was leaking substantially.
A mission of Fish Reef Project is helping ocean life thrive, so this discovery tugged on the heartstrings of the organization’s mission. Goldblatt took photos and brought in the KEYT News team who reported it in their program and referred to it as the Goldblatt Summerland oil well head.
Word was out and Fish Reef Project was making plans to bring in the appropriate state agencies to clean it up.
Goldblatt said, “Cleaning up the bay at Summerland is a priority of Fish Reef Project and that includes advocating for the extension of the 75-foot long sewage outfall pipe.
“It should extend at least a mile out where the material it carries flows into the major currents along our shoreline. That will help revive the inshore ecosystems at Summerland beaches,” he said.
My own experiences as a fishing charter boat operator substantiate the need to clean up that area. Fishing should be good there because of the habitat available, but is generally not as good as surrounding areas.
A leaky oil well head and a too-short sewage outfall pipe could help explain my observations.
Back to the well head. State Lands picked up on the news feed and reached out to Fish Reef Project, expressing appreciation. The state agency plans to request funding to recap the old well head.
The companies who put the roughly 192 well heads off of Summerland are long gone, so the responsibility falls to the state and fortunately, State Lands is very concerned about the health of our beaches and inshore environment. We hope to have that leaky well head well-capped soon.
It bothers me to think of children digging in the sand which usually covers that wellhead, and being subject to potential health hazards.
Summerland prides itself on clean beaches, so I’m hopeful the town will work very hard with Fish Reef Project and with State Lands to expedite the well head-recapping project and to make plans to lengthen the outfall pipe.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
