A group of seafood companies are proposing a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, which they say has had a significant impact on their businesses.
The oil spills is a lawsuit that has been proposed by the fishing and seafood companies. The lawsuit is over the oil spill that occurred in 2010.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (CBSLA) — Commercial fishing, diving, and seafood businesses are joining a proposed class-action lawsuit against Amplify Energy, the company that owns the pipeline that leaked oil into the seas off Orange County.
The lawsuit would seek damages for the anticipated loss of income as a consequence of the huge oil leak that occurred last weekend. 
READ MORE: A Deputy-Involved Shooting Resulted In A Fatal Shooting In Unincorporated LA On Sunday
Market in Redondo Beach Quality Seafood, as well as LBC Seafood Inc., a family-owned wholesaler that buys lobsters from fishermen in Orange County and sells them to wholesalers and distributors who distribute the product across California and the globe, are among the plaintiffs.
Jack Buttler, an urchin diver from San Pedro, and Steve Legere, a lobster, crab, and sheephead fisher from Marina del Rey and Newport Beach, have both been named.
One of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, Matthew Maclear, stated, “We have filed this action on behalf of probably the most impacted sector – commercial fishermen, divers, and retail and wholesale markets.” “This generational-defining event has had significant effects on fishermen, merchants, and consumers that must be addressed quickly to prevent the demise of one of Southern California’s most varied fisheries.” Our clients banded together to preserve their livelihoods and Southern California’s beautiful coastline when the oil disaster polluted the environment.
Businesses in Huntington Beach have filed a class-action lawsuit in response to an oil spill off the coast of Orange County.
Many Quality Fish customers are reluctant to buy seafood, according to the lawsuit, which was filed late Friday in federal court in Santa Ana. The market’s proprietors have “severe worries that the economic loss from lobsters would be significant since current and anticipated prices were predicted to be high,” according to the complaint, which began last week and continues through March.
Other kinds of seafood, such as red snapper, halibut, rock cod, sardines, and anchovies, were also anticipated to suffer losses.
According to the complaint, since the leak has contaminated the seas from San Clemente to Newport, where Buttler typically collects urchins, he now has to drive his boat to places up to 65 miles away to dive for the spiky marine species.
Buttler sells 500-700 pounds of urchin each week to Quality Seafood, according to the lawsuit, and the leak has significantly harmed his capacity to generate the same or comparable revenue as before the disaster.
“As a result of the spill, he is no longer allowed to collect in the regions where he depends, resulting in substantial financial hardship,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said.
READ MORE: Chargers beat Browns thanks to Herbert’s 398 yards and three touchdowns.
Prior to the accident, Legere planned to fish for sheephead nearly all year, as well as during lobster and crab seasons in what are now contaminated waters, according to the lawsuit. According to the complaint, Legere used to capture 500-600 pounds of lobster each day in previous seasons, but the catch is down by approximately two-thirds in the first days of the 2021-22 season, and the price has dropped accordingly.
According to the lawsuit, Legere thinks the spill’s harmful effects “will continue to impede his ability to make a livelihood fishing sheephead, lobster, and crab forever.”
On October 4, 2021, Amplify Energy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Martyn Willsher talks at a news conference in Huntington Beach, California, regarding the reaction to an oil leak in the Pacific Ocean. – On October 4, 2021, a massive oil leak was killing animals and endangering California’s beaches, in what authorities described as a “environmental disaster.” (AFP Photo/Patrick T. FALLON) (Photo courtesy of AFP/PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images)
According to the lawsuit, Amplify Energy’s “acts and omissions have therefore caused current harm to Legere, as well as the tangible danger of immediate, further injury,” and the plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s lead investigator said Friday that the ruptured underwater pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach that leaked thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean may have been damaged several months to a year ago, adding that it was unclear when the crack occurred or when oil began seeping into the water.
Authorities projected that up to 144,000 gallons of oil may have spilled from the broken pipeline last weekend, but officials later indicated the real quantity is likely considerably lower, though no precise figure has been given. The Coast Guard projected that during a press briefing on Thursday.
A total of 588 barrels of oil leaked, equating to approximately 24,700 gallons. Officials aren’t sure what the maximum number is, but it’s thought to be in the thousands.
Timeline of the Huntington Beach Oil Spill
On the morning of Oct. 2, crews reacted to the spill, and Orange County beaches were immediately shuttered as officials discovered the extent of the oil slick.
ADDITIONAL NEWS: A woman is killed after being shot in the neck at a Hollywood metro station; the suspect is still at large.
Laguna Beach has now reopened, while Newport Beach has allowed people to walk on the beach but not in the water. Newport Harbor reopened on Friday afternoon as well.
Related Tag
- oil spill clean up
