NEWPORT BEACH
A gas spill from an unknown source polluted Newport Harbor on Monday afternoon, leaving a silver-colored sheen for about an hour. No one was endangered by the spill, authorities said. “It never posed a threat to anyone or marine life,” U.S. Coast Guard Chief Randy Miller said.
Representatives from the Coast Guard and the state’s Fish and Wildlife Service responded to the call at 1:30 p.m. They found small patches of fuel lingering throughout the harbor, but none was heavy enough to cause great alarm. Once the patches dissipated, the harbor was declared safe.
Authorities doubt they will find where the spill began. They suspect someone may have unwittingly leaked fuel from a boat, contaminating the harbor briefly. “The chances of finding out who did this are slim to basically none,” Miller said.
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