California to reopen fishing after offshore oil spill

By AMY TAXIN
Associated Press

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — California is reopening fishing along a stretch of southern coastline after barring the activity for weeks following an offshore oil spill. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says a ban on the taking of fish and shellfish will be lifted Tuesday after tests showed local seafood is safe for human consumption. The closure in early October covered 650 square miles of coastal waters and some 45 miles of shoreline, mainly in Orange County. The ban was put in place after a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy leaked about 25,000 gallons of crude oil in early October. Federal officials have said the pipeline was probably damaged by a ship’s anchor.