Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Nearly 300 Oil Spills Off San Diego's Coast in 2007

The Coast Guard says more than 4,000 gallons of oil and other chemicals spilled into waters off San Diego County last year. The Guard says more than one-third of those pollution spills are from unknow

Nearly 300 Oil Spills Off San Diego's Coast in 2007

The Coast Guard says more than 4,000 gallons of oil and other chemicals spilled into waters off San Diego County last year. The Guard says more than one-third of those pollution spills are from unknown sources. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has more.

The Guard's report shows there were 288 oil and chemical spills between the Mexican border and Orange County in 2007.

Advertisement

The Coast Guard identified two-thirds of the spills. But the sources of 104 of those spills is a mystery.

Coast Guard Lt. Jereme Altendorf says most of the oil spills come from small sources such as recreational boats.

Altendorf : For the common everyday diesel that comes off vessels the main hazard is for the aquatic environment.

He says oil products can have toxic effects on humans if they enter the blood stream through the skin or by inhalation. He says because of oil's high dispersion factor, even small spills and discharges can poison large surface areas of the ocean.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.