Race to cleanup California oil spill

Efforts underway to scrub spilled oil from California coast
By, Associated Press

GOLETA, California (AP) — Environmental workers Wednesday cleaned along a stretch of California coastline stained by thousands of gallons (kilograms) of crude oil that spilled from a broken pipe and flowed into the Pacific Ocean.

Workers strapped on boots and gloves tackle the gobs of goo stuck to sand and rocks after the spill. Members of the International Bird Rescue organization were also on hand Wednesday to clean any birds that become covered with oil, though none were immediately spotted.

The accident Tuesday happened on the same stretch of coastline as a massive 1969 spill, which was the largest ever in U.S. waters at the time and is credited with giving rise to the American environmental movement.

After Tuesday's onshore pipeline break, oil spewed down a storm drain and into the ocean for several hours before it was shut off, creating a slick some 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) long.

Initial estimates put the spill at about 21,000 gallons (80,000 liters), but that figure would likely change after a Wednesday flyover gave a better sense of the scope, U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Williams said.

Plains All American Pipeline which owns the pipe said it stopped the flow of oil and blocked the culvert.

"Plains deeply regrets this release has occurred and is making every effort to limit its environmental impact," the company said in a statement.

After the spill, boats from the nonprofit collective Clean Seas helped with cleanup but were having trouble because much of the oil was close to shore, Williams said. About 850 gallons (3,200 liters) of oil have been recovered from the water, she said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed fishing and shellfish harvesting for a mile (two kilometers) east and west of the beach.

The area is home to offshore oil rigs, and small amounts of tar from natural seepage regularly show up on beaches. In 1969, several hundred thousand gallons (kilograms) spilled from a blowout on an oil platform and thousands of seabirds and many marine mammals were killed.

"Oil spills are part of the ugly cost of fossil fuel development, made even worse by aging domestic infrastructure," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director for the Center for Biological Diversity. It was unclear how long the cleanup would take.
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Christopher Weber contributed to this story

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-05-21