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

Documents

Fisheries Re-opening Process After Oil SpillsSep 30, 2022

Risk Assessment of Seafood Consumption Following the Pipeline P00547 Incident, Orange and San Diego Counties, CaliforniaJan 12, 2022

Protocol for Seafood Sampling and Analysis to Support Fisheries Re-Opening Decisions Following Aquatic Oil Spills in CaliforniaMar 18, 2020

Risk Assessment of Seafood Consumption Following the Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident in Santa Barbara County, CaliforniaDec 21, 2015

Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident Fisheries Closure Chemical Testing ResultsJul 29, 2015

Oil Spills and Seafood Fact SheetMar 11, 2015

OEHHA's Protocol For Seafood Risk Assessment To Support Fisheries Re-Opening Decisions For Aquatic Oil Spills In CaliforniaMar 11, 2015

Risk Assessment of Seafood Following the F/V Royal Pacific Diesel Spill in Ventura Harbor, CaliforniaMay 27, 2014

Safety of Consuming Fish and Shellfish From Areas Impacted By The T/V Dubai Star Oil Spill In San Francisco Bay, CAJun 9, 2011

Safety of Consuming Fish and Shellfish from Areas Impacted by the M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay, CaliforniaNov 29, 2007