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Workers begin cleanup process of oil spill into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, CA
California Gov. Jerry Brown
declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County late Wednesday after
an onshore pipeline burst, spewing thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean — blackening beaches and endangering West Coast wildlife. The area, a popular camping spot some 20 miles from Santa Barbara, known for its palm-tree-lined seashore and pristine surf, has been "
closed indefinitely." The extent of the damage is not known.
A pipeline that carries oil from an onshore facility to refineries ruptured Tuesday, leaking for hours into a culvert under a highway and into a storm drain that led to the ocean near the
Refugio State Beach. A control room operator noticed "abnormalities" in the line and shut it down, according to the
Los Angeles Times. Firefighters responded to reports of a gasoline smell.
Texas-based oil company Plains All American Pipeline said up to 105,000 gallons of crude oil may have leaked out — up to 21,000 gallons of which may have spilled into the sea.
"It's important to remember this stretch of California coastline is unique to the world. It's beautiful and pristine," Santa Barbara County Supervisor Doreen Farr said, according to
NBC Los Angeles. "This is more than an inconvenience.
This is just a disaster. We are taking it very seriously."
Officials in California have begun cleanup and damage assessment operations after a ruptured pipeline spread some 21,000 gallons of oil onto beaches and into the ocean near Santa Barbara.
Comment: This kind of preventable negligence is unconscionable and the cleanup will take years. California's 6,000 miles of oil pipelines are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the state fire marshal. Before 2013, the fire marshal's office managed the 2,000 miles of interstate pipelines for the federal department, monitoring, inspecting and reviewing company records. Now, the federal government oversees those pipelines, including the one that failed this week. Great job of monitoring. The habitat thanks you.