Vessel seen leaking fuel off the LA coast

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was working with the Coast Guard and other responders to identify the nature of oil sheen spotted off the city's coast.

The fire department said Sunday a vessel carrying automobiles was suspected of leaking fuel from a site off the coast of the Port of Los Angeles. In a notification about the release of hazardous material, the LAFD verified reports of an oil spill, but raised questions about the exact nature or quantity of the material spilled.

Vehicles carrier Istra Ace was identified by Los Angeles Times as the ship in question. The last port call for the Bahamas-flagged carrier prior to Los Angeles was Japan.

Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman for the LAFD said the sheen was still visible on the water as of 7:56 p.m. local time. The leak was still identified as a suspected fuel spill and LAFD and Coast Guard crews were boarding the vessel to identify the potential material and ensure no threat existed from the spill.

"At that time, [a] private company will handle the mitigation [and] clean-up work," a statement from the fire department read.

Oil from a spill from a pipeline system off the coast of Santa Barbara last year migrated to beaches in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.