oil spill oil spill deposited gallons barrels crude oil diverse coastlines west coast pipeline blamed spill closed indefinitely resulting financial impacts county estimated high million related pipeline remain service years cost cleanup estimated company million overall expenses including expected legal claims potential settlements million oil spill located immediately north california originated feet diameter underground pipeline named owned crude oil produced offshore platforms transported onshore receiving plants pipeline transported oil inland processing oil pipeline operators midland texas turned alarm notified leak dealing separate problem pump year old pipeline equipped automatic shut valve eventually shut control operators notified leak parties visually located spill hundreds animals coast coated thick crude oil died state parks beaches located coastline temporarily closed smaller oil rig resulted oil spill spill greater long term effects potential impact state marine protected areas unique characteristics area studied marine environments united_states background area earliest locations california developed offshore oil gas production crude oil natural gas produced offshore platforms processed onshore receiving plants transported distant source spill line mile pipeline owned inch buried line constructed coast service crude oil produced offshore drilling pipeline transport gallons barrels day contents heated high area typically heated retain oil heat transit oil blended natural gas allow flow readily pipeline truck transportation oil phased 1970s considered safer option pipeline spill inspection year old line pipeline found extensive problems resulting pipeline walls pipeline automatic shut valve required pipeline line categorized interstate pipeline officials plains american pipeline claimed installing new valve present potential dangers line underwent comprehensive internal inspection july area pipe broke repaired times line longer pipeline transports oil line inland gathering facilities line found seriously offshore oil production owns offshore platforms harmony heritage transport oil onshore tanks depend line transport oil pump station coastal canyon near crude oil known flows transported inland miles gathering facilities southern_california platform holly located depends lines holly platform mile offshore coal oil point gallons barrels day comes natural line production platforms owned coast narrow coastal terrace spill took place primarily recreation cattle grazing local land use agencies kept oil processing facilities minimum lightly populated coast land held agricultural preserves act lemon tree parks agricultural areas narrow coastal terrace situated rugged coastline nearest city mile coast main coastal railroad line parallel coastline harmony oil easily seen offshore santa barbara channel highway railroad coast mediterranean climate considered unique biodiversity ocean life unusual species found result cold water north meeting warm water south annual migration gray progress time spill come close foot shoreline oil spill detection response pipeline operators midland texas remotely detected pressure shut line initially responded report strong smell coming area fire crews found crude oil flowing drainage passed pacific_ocean reported leak authorities local pipeline workers know leak notified state parks staff noon oil water struggling find leaking pipeline workers located line leaked flowed storm company officials responsible center staffed united_states_coast_guard officers marine science technicians sole federal point contact reporting hazardous substances releases oil oil spill mandatory federal requirements timely manner company officials said unable contact employees site employees busy dealing immediate demands situation state parks agency closed governor declared state emergency declared state emergency emergency management team eventually recommended proclamation local emergency intact till anticipated significant winter storm bring submerged oil situation spring sensitive area oil quickly spread miles coastline west east slick reached marine protected areas significant ecological cultural significance naples campus point culturally significant land artifacts people found area immediate concern potential use chemical big washing ashore break oil small disperse water column significant concerns health effects effects aquatic life officials overseeing cleanup indicated chemical immediately rule use size spill cleanup efforts plains american pipeline stated time spill pipeline operating maximum capacity gallons hour reported august total gallons barrels crude oil leaked pipeline preliminary reports estimated gallons barrels gallons barrels oil ocean highway drainage adjacent broken pipeline oil reaching ocean later revised gallons barrels established consisting local state federal agencies included united_states_coast_guard including response responsible party plains american pipeline federal ordered pipeline operator provide pipe testing order establish condition pipe failed oil pipeline cleaned section removed determine pressure series failures led pipeline scientists multiple disciplines began collaborating immediately spill based lessons learned studies earlier refined computer models predicted spill spread including impacts los_angeles area beaches information provide guidance cleanup agencies monitor effects ecosystem feet floating boom deployed contain oil day boats helicopters identified patches slick ocean cleanup vessels oil dozen vessels oil water working days immediately following spill days spill workers boats cleaning shoreline gathering water mixture ocean hauling away cubic yards oil contaminated soil sand vegetation coastal bluff month spill efforts continued clean mile long portion shoreline heavily damaged sandstone cliff face large oil coming difficult clean sandy beaches farther south inundated tar balls beaches rocky shoreline south spill slick fresh crude oil ocean long altered tar balls wind waves tar balls days spill tar balls began washing ashore beaches coast nearby farther coast source tar balls immediately confirmed pipeline company sent workers clean crews cleaned coin sized oil shoreline beaches city including extensive officials scientists said tar balls appearance coincidence unrelated spill close known offshore oil gallons barrels day tar balls continued beaches farther coast including beaches tested tar ball recovered matched chemical signature oil cleanup crews responded farther south beaches month spill approximately miles beaches damaged spill cleaned remaining miles area spill site near rest coastline south spill aftermath environmental effect spill smaller nearby oil spill january oil rig blow estimated million gallons crude oil day period thick crude oil damaged coats skin hundreds animals workers eventually collected dead birds dead mammals included sea lions impact known animals travel distance injuries live birds live mammals rescued animals freed cleaned health adult brown released spending weeks team scientists administered september released sea lions affected oil spill border field state park scientists monitor movements sea lions satellite spill cleanup occurred nesting season snowy special precautions necessary cleaning tar balls birds found beaches coast plain nests hard open sand birds easily frightened away human activity leaving eggs fast moving predators sea endangered species bird concern cleanup efforts marine researchers note mammals birds attention smaller creatures base ocean food chain harmed oil life sea floor near shore unable way exposed oil organisms suffer mortality recovery population decades researchers began collecting samples hours spill monitor impact marine environment researchers volunteers returned area times collect additional samples students researchers previously area study purposes data available professor university said discharge heavy oil presents unique opportunity discover novel ecological marine communities heavy oil ecosystem response opportunity study ecosystem changes reactions early stages entire year rare scientists day zero access sort event like economic impact plains american pipeline estimated cleanup cost million joint oversight hearing june overall expenses related spill estimated million earnings report plains american pipeline issued time included emergency response cleanup efforts expected legal claims potential settlements ceo stated report million covered insurance figure include lost revenue economic consequences county difficult financial impact county estimated director million line remains dormant years dependence region oil gas industry product line workers income property taxes federal royalties reduced line service impact tourism bad predicted thousands workers involved cleanup appear benefited hotels lightly populated recreation brings outdoor enthusiasts spill affected visitors public private facilities area state closed heavily month finally reopened june camping day use heavily damaged reopen july popular parks quickly filled summer crowds reopened sector superintendent said booked day opened half people didn know closed good testament clean park response spill square miles km2 fisheries closed order lifted weeks determined area safe eat posed significant health threat closure impacted commercial fishermen fishing charters local commercial fishermen reported tough sell fish caught outside closed area impression region oil spill long term concern oil wiped main food source sea life area predominant products region red sea red rock crab average million sales revenue year estimate million financial impact years county includes approximately million lost property taxes million worker income million reduced federal royalties result region oil gas industry heavily dependent lines prior spill region biggest oil operator time pace generate approximately million revenue november generated estimated million offshore oil platforms rely lines forced shut onshore storage tanks filled december established restart truck transport continuing production offshore platforms allowed local agencies exceptions closely local officials allowing august transport crude oil onshore truck limited period oil evacuated tanks allow maintenance onshore facility serves legislation bills signed law response spill new law required review oil conditions year federal regulations mandate review years new law provides making oil spill response times faster effective finally new law force use best known technology automatic shut litigation year spill jury handing criminal plains announced count company employees california state attorney general opened criminal investigation right spill said prosecution send message plains oil gas industry california profound economic impacts local fishermen couldn fish fishery led filing lawsuits suits alleging losses property value consolidated class action lawsuit plains additional class action suit filed claiming plains provided false misleading statements pipeline maintenance monitoring plains american pipeline ordered march stop misleading sought interim damages issued order stated plains misleading victims rights recovery class action lawsuit obtain compensation city filed lawsuit seeking million compensation plains media coverage spill created perception oil spill city miles away according city officials discouraged visitors peak tourism season losing city millions dollars tax revenue federal requested provide records internal inspection conducted details maintenance data monitoring information incident reports repair logs requested release records santa barbara filed lawsuit agency december months received requested documents regulations pipeline hazardous material safety administration responsible developing enforcing regulations pipeline operation transportation having created months following spill found line inspection tool plains line degree company withheld line inspection data enhance interpretation data according order issued october proposed new rules assist preventing inspection
Refugio oil spill