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Oil Spill Update - Public Hearing & Small Business Resources

__SALUTATION__

I remain committed to providing you with the most up-to-date and accurate information about the Orange County Oil Spill.

As Chair of the California Assembly Select Committee on the Orange County Oil Spill, I would like to announce that we will be holding our first oversight hearing on November 15, 2021. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee will join me to hear from a number of stakeholders on the current emergency response efforts and provide an opportunity to address unanswered questions relative to the oil spill. The hearing will explore if and how California law, regulations and protocols need to be updated based on the lessons from this disaster in regards to oil spill prevention and emergency response. Lastly, we want to highlight immediate relief available to impacted parties and identify any barriers for community access to this relief. Reply to this email for more information about how to participate.

I am pleased to share that help is here for small businesses impacted by the Orange Oil Spill! The federal government has responded to our request for a SBA Economic Disaster Declaration and now businesses impacted by the Orange County oil spill will have access to SBA disaster loan funds. You can apply here. Additionally, anyone who has experienced revenue loss from their business or damage to their property from this disaster is encouraged to call (866) 985-8366, which is a hotline set up by Amplify and their partners to help impacted parties file claims. For those who need help applying, I am partnering with Orange County Small Business Development Center to host a small business clinic in Huntington Beach on Monday, November 8 from 5-8 p.m.  Click here to sign up for the event.

Help for Residents & Businesses

  • Claims Hotline: (866) 985-8366
  • Boat Decontamination: (866) 985-8366 to schedule cleaning
  • Unified Command: socalspillresponse.com

Updates as of November 4, 6:00 p.m.:

Cleanup News

  • Tar ball cleanup continues in San Diego County; Orange County teams are standing by to respond to reports of oil or tar balls
  • 61 recreational vessels have been decontaminated; 54 scheduled for cleaning
  • All of the remaining boom has been removed.
  • 5,544 gallons of oil recovered; 541,957 lbs of oil debris removed in total
  • 292 shoreline clean-up personnel
  • All Orange County beaches and harbors are open

How You Can Help: If you encounter impacted animals, call the Oil Wildlife - Care Network Hotline, (877) 823-6926. To report tarballs, email tarballreports@wildlife.ca.gov. If you would like to volunteer for a future cleanup, please sign up here to be notified: https://a74.asmdc.org/orange-county-oil-spill-updates-volunteer-sign

Thank you for all of your engagement on this crisis.

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Oil Spill Update 11.3.21