Summerland Oil Capping Images by Night & Rincon Area Cleanup by Day
Heal the Ocean would like to share with you, our supporters, scenes we know you’ll love.
By Night: Summerland Oil Capping (Ohlssen 805)
HTO Field Advisor Harry Rabin was on the scene last night (July 21, 2021) and provides these photos of State Lands Commission contractors excavating, and capping the Ohlssen 805 well at the west end of Summerland Beach. Harry, who stayed on scene until 3 a.m., said the workers reached the “blue clay” layer (where hydrocarbons can’t escape) very fast and got the well cemented. Today (Thursday, July 22, 2021), the contractors will cut the top of the pipe, cap it, and finish it off in the next few days.
By Day: Cleanup of Rincon Area Underpass Mess
Our Folk Hero, Andrew V. of Earthcomb, got a call from HTO regarding a mess in the Rincon offramp area – and he went right to work on July 19, 2021, and just posted his work on YouTube. It’s cleaned up and done. Click here and have a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7p4sDZtHk
Thank you, everyone, for helping us do all this.
Heal the Ocean | Santa Barbara
Mission
Heal the Ocean focuses on wastewater infrastructure – sewers and septic systems – as well as ocean dumping practices that have contributed to ocean pollution. We are focused on Santa Barbara County, but our methods are now serving as a model for other coastal communities across the country.
Begin to Build a Relationship
We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s director of development and/or Executive Director.
They Heal Our Ocean
I’ve surfed for years at the Rincon, and am in the water all the time. It is such a relief to know that the septic systems are gone, that we’re not swimming in polluted water like we were doing day in and day out, getting sinus, ear, nose, eye infections and who knows what else. Yes, there are other bad things that get into the ocean, but just knowing that this one big source of contamination has been removed is huge. This is one of the most popular surf spots in California, world known, and the legacy left to this piece of ocean will be there forever. It’s so interesting to hear the younger surfers today, who don’t know about the battles Heal the Ocean went through to get this project done. They were little kids at the time. Think of it, it’s now history!
Return on Investment
Heal the Ocean’s pragmatic approach ensures that any donation the organization receives will be returned in multiples.
A $25,000 investment in aerial infrared photography showing leaking oil fields off the coast of Summerland was the proof then-Governor Jerry Brown needed to sign Senate Bill 44, which allocated $14 million towards capping aging wells along the California coast.
A $5,000 investment in a consultant allowed HTO to snag $150,000 in state funds to pay for a conceptual engineering study for a recycled water facility in Goleta, and another $150,000 for state-funded conceptual engineering plans for a recycled water facility in Santa Ynez. These studies and conceptual engineering plans have put these agencies first in line for state funding help for the actual building of the facilities. So HTO effectively turned $5,000 into a potential of 50 million dollars.
Board of Directors
Hillary Hauser, President and Executive Director
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Thomas Dabney, Treasurer
Charles Vinick
Heather Hudson, Event Manager
Jonathan Wygant
Tom White