Underwater footage shows damage on California pipeline

The US Coast Guard is investigating a possible anchor strike as the cause of a broken pipeline that has spewed tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the sea off California, media reported Tuesday.
Emergency responders say up to 131,000 gallons of thick, sticky fuel have fouled waters that are home to seals, dolphins and whales since a pipeline ruptured at the weekend.
A 15-mile (24-kilometer) stretch of coastline has been closed to the public, and fishing has been halted as crews scramble to clean up one of California's biggest spills in decades.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that the Coast Guard was trying to determine if a large commercial ship set anchor in the wrong place -- and damaged the pipeline.
Martyn Willsher, the chief executive of pipeline operator Amplify Energy, said underwater observations revealed that 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) of the pipeline was not where it should be.

At least eight birds have been found covered in oil, with reports of other wildlife also affected.
Officials have warned people not to touch or try to save any creatures they find, but instead to call local authorities and alert them to animals affected by the oil.
The spill originated near the Elly platform, which was built in 1980 and is one of 23 oil and gas drilling platforms in federal waters off California, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Environmentalists have repeatedly called attention to the age of some of the facilities -- which they say are rusty and poorly maintained -- and the risks they pose. 
The disaster has reignited a debate about the presence of oil rigs and pipelines near the coast of Southern California.
More than 300 personnel are involved in the emergency response to the spill, which has been traced to a pipeline near Long Beach.