seepage

The other three rules would cut the emission of mercury, a neurotoxin linked to developmental damage in children; restrict the seepage of toxic ash from coal plants into water supplies; and reduce the discharge of wastewater from the plants.

The samples are more characteristic of “freshly produced” oil typical of natural seepage, according to officials.

March 11, 2024An earlier version of this article stated that a Coast Guard official said the oil spill was caused by natural seepage from the ocean floor off Huntington Beach.

Coast Guard spokesperson Richard Uranga said Monday the testing revealed the oil was from natural seepage.

“We don’t know what caused the natural seepage to be so much.”