Refugio Oil Spill
Clean-up takes place at Refugio State Beach the morning after 100,000 gallons of crude spilled from the Plains All American Pipeline
On Tuesday, May 19th, 2015, the Plains All American Pipeline spilled more than 100,000 gallons of heavy crude from an underground pipeline on the Gaviota Coast. Oil washed out into the sensitive environment of the Santa Barbara Channel, threatening endangered whales, closing Refugio and El Capitan State Beaches, and harming still unknown numbers of birds and marine mammals.
These waters are known as the Galapagos of North America with numerous species of endangered whales migrating through marine protected areas, with pristine beaches and an iconic coastline that people travel across the world to visit. In the wake of the terrible 1969 Santa Barbra oil spill, our communities fought for many years to protect this as one of the most important environments in all of California. To see our coastline damaged by yet another oil spill has united this community in sorrow and the intense desire to take action.
Unfortunately, this is not simply a question of one faulty pipeline, this is the reality of the oil industry. With accidents and oil development, it is not a question of if, but of when, all the more reason why we need your help stopping a new coastal drilling project proposed by Sunset/Exxon off Vandenberg.
Refugio Oil Spill, May 20,2015. Photo by Erin Feinblatt.
While the cleanup has progressed, EDC staff have been working around the clock, monitoring the spill and the response, researching any legal violations, keeping the public informed, coordinating with other groups and communicating concerns to elected officials and agencies. But we must be aware that once the oil hits the open water, it is unlikely than more than 10-15% of the oil will ever be recovered.
RESOURCES:
- Report oiled wildlife: 877-823-6926
- Report oil: 1‐800‐424‐8802 or 805‐696‐1188
- Volunteer: dfg.ca.gov, 1-800-228-4544
- Get updates on the Refugio Oil Spill: refugioresponse.com
- Follow EDC: Facebook and Twitter for the latest news
