Beaches begin reopening as oil spill investigations take form   
By Heather McRea

This week in Coast Lines: Our coverage of an oil spill that started off Huntington Beach at the beginning of this month, but is now leaving tar balls on sands as far south as San Diego, continues this week as investigations and government hearings launch into what happened.

Beachgoers are returning to the coast, but officials warn they need to avoid the oily blobs still washing ashore. Some of the first birds to recover from being caught up in the oil slick have been released back out in the ocean.

Here’s what’s happening along the Southern California coast.

State Department of Justice opens investigation

As local beaches reopen, officials say they’re launching multiple probes into what happened and what efforts are needed to prevent such a disaster from happening again.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced during a press conference with visiting U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla that the California Department of Justice has launched an investigation into what caused the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach, with both civil and criminal charges possible.

State legislators also announced the creation of a special committee to look into the oil spill, with Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Laguna Beach, appointed as chairwoman.
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Oil spill hints at broader threats to ocean health

The coast of Southern California is probably the healthiest it’s been in 20 years, but this month's oil spill is a stark reminder of how vulnerable the region’s ecosystem and marine life are. 

Ongoing threats of climate change and contamination from a range of sources could easily change things for local waters for the worst.

"For all intents and purposes, California’s ocean health is better off than 20 years ago, but there is a caveat," said Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, coastal preservation manager for the Surfrider Foundation. "Mother Nature and climate change is moving faster than our laws and policies."
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Pipeline drag could have been months ago

It is believed an anchor from a large cargo ship caught on the pipeline and dragged it more than 100 feet out of place. 

Underwater inspection of the pipeline showed marine growth indicating the drag could have been months ago, federal investigators said. And it is unclear when the 13-inch split in the pipe appeared. It could have been caused more slowly by stress or corrosion, they said.

The revelation that initial damage may have occurred several months ago "has refocused the frame and timeframe of our investigation," said Jason Neubauer, chief of the Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations, opening up "a mountain of data" to be sifted through from the past year.
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What else?

Could the oil spill play a role in the next elections?  
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Unanswered questions about the oil spill suggest oversight might not be working, some experts said.
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Local authorities are reopening beaches at their own pace, there has been no unified standard.
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Keep up with all of our oil spill coverage here.

In the ocean

A ruddy duck and an eared grebe are back in the ocean after being released Wednesday, cleaned of oil and having returned to good health. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network has been caring for several birds caught up in the oil spill. These two were released into Huntington Harbor, the area where they were initially found.
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