Coast Guard, Santa Barbara County Responding to Oil Slick on Ocean Off Refugio State Beach

[upaloopa]

http://ktla.com/2015/05/19/oil-slick-off-refugio-state-beach-in-santa-barbara-county-prompts-emergency-response/



Emergency officials and the U.S. Coast Guard were responding to an 4-miles-wide oil slick off the coast of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday.
Authorities were responding to an apparent oil slick in the ocean off Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County on May 19, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

Authorities were responding to an apparent oil slick in the ocean off Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County on May 19, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

Multiple local news outlets reported a pungent smell from spilled oil on the popular beach about 20 miles west of downtown Santa Barbara.

U.S. Coast Guard crews were responding to an “unknown sheen” at Refugio, the guard’s Los Angeles/Long Beach office Twitter account stated.

The sheen was from a ruptured pipeline on the shore side that had been “secured,” the Coast Guard office later confirmed in a tweet.

County fire and emergency officials were responding to the 4-mile-wide of oil slick, the Coast Guard stated, saying it would oversee cleanup of the oil.

The Coast Guard also said in a tweet that Exxon was responding, but ExxonMobil spokesman Christian Flathman said the pipeline was not one of the company’s and the company was not responding. Flathman said he planned to contact the Coast Guard.

Houston-based Plains All-American Pipeline was later identified as the “responsible party.”

[Cleita]

1. Oh no!

Another pet peeve of mine, allowing out of state and foreign companies to mine our resources.

[upaloopa]

3. We drove by there on the way home. The smell is terrible. I doubt the camp grounds will be open

this weekend.

[riversedge]

2. campground is booked for Memorial wkend..

At least a quarter-mile patch appeared to be slicking the surface of the ocean water off the beach, aerial video showed.

The Santa Barbara Channel was the site of a massive oil spill in 1969 that left the coast darkened with oil, killed thousands of birds and galvanized the environmental movement.
The slick was washing onto the sand at Refugio State Beach on May 19, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

The slick was washing onto the sand at Refugio State Beach on May 19, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

An effort to permanently ban off-shore oil drilling in state waters off Santa Barbara failed in the state Assembly last August.

Refugio State Beach is about 21 miles west of downtown Santa Barbara (map). A state park, the beach has a popular campground that is completely booked for

[upaloopa]

4. local news says two humpback whales are playing just out past the oil. The leak started on land.

7000 gal per hour since noon. 21,000 gals spilled

campground is shut down

[Cleita]

5. Rachel Maddow just reported it on her show, but didn't add to it.

I don't know if she will get back to it. Maybe waiting for more information or a news crew to get there.

[upaloopa]

7. Where are all those anti Measure P folks I debated with on line a few months ago?

safe no problems ever? Bull shit!

[Cleita]

6. Rachel Maddow just said that they are going to put up images

of the spill after the present break. Stay tuned.

[TeamPooka]

8. oh crap

[barbtries]

9. 4 miles wide?!

horrible. again. i've been at the beach in Santa Barbara years ago when it was a mess from another spill. if i recall correctly - it must be 40 years ago now. my niece goes to school there.

4 miles wide. that's big.