Tar Making Life Sticky at the Shore

Before stepping on the carpet at home this weekend, surf and sand lovers may want to wipe their feet. High concentrations of tar washed ashore on several stretches of Newport Beach on Thursday.

Fire and Marine Lt. John Blauer said most of the tar had been cleaned up by early afternoon, but “if you step on some it could be a nuisance.” Mineral oil works well to clean the goop off bare feet, he said.

General Services Department crews combed the areas from 44th Street to the Newport Pier Friday to try to ensure that residual traces were gone by the weekend, Blauer said.

Lesser quantities of tar globs appeared in the area stretching to the Jetties, and from the Newport Pier to the Balboa Pier. The source of the tar has not been determined, Blauer said. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating.