Oil Spills & Seafood

OEHHA Emergency Response for Oil Spills and Seafood

• OEHHA is required to evaluate the potential public health risks associated with seafood consumption following oil spills into California waters.

• This task includes making recommendations on fisheries closure and re-opening to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

• As shown in this flow chart, if a closure is in effect for more than 48 hours, expedited testing of seafood is required before a fishery can be re-opened.

• OEHHA works closely with CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR).

• This fact sheet describes OEHHA’s and OSPR’s roles following marine oil spills.

OEHHA's Protocol for Seafood Risk Assessment to Support Fisheries Re-Opening Decisions for Marine Oil Spills in California

Joint OEHHA-OSPR Protocol for Seafood Sampling and Analysis to Support Fisheries Re-Opening Decisions Following Aquatic Oil Spills in California

Oil Spills Requiring Expedited Seafood Testing

• Pipeline P00547 Incident (Spill reported October 2, 2021)
  Risk Assessment of Seafood Consumption Following the Pipeline P00547 Incident, Orange and San Diego Counties, California

• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident (Spill occurred May 19, 2015)
  Risk Assessment of Seafood Consumption Following the Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident in Santa Barbara County, California

• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident (Spill occurred May 19, 2015)
  Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident Fisheries Closure Chemical Testing Results

• F/V Royal Pacific (Spill occurred November 18, 2013)
  Risk Assessment of Seafood Following the F/V Royal Pacific Diesel Spill in Ventura Harbor, California

• T/V Dubai Star (Spill occurred October 30, 2009)
  Report on The Safety of Consuming Fish and Shellfish From Areas Impacted By The T/V Dubai Star Oil Spill In San Francisco Bay, California

• M/V Cosco Busan (Spill occurred November 7, 2007)
  Report on the Safety of Consuming Fish and Shellfish from Areas Impacted by the M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay, California