An oil pipeline ruptured along the Santa Barbara coast on Tuesday, releasing 21,000 gallons of oil along four miles of coastline.
The slick was about 50-100 yards wide. The leak was reported at about noon on Tuesday, and about three hours later that same day, Coast Guard crews had stopped it. The cause of the rupture is still unknown. The story is developing and it’s not totally clear what the damage is or will be. While any oil leak is unfortunate, the timing of this one, just before Memorial Day weekend, will likely have a big impact on a larger swath of people getting away to one of the most scenic slices of coastline in California.
What might be the economic impact of the spill? What types of wildlife have been hurt, killed or are in danger? Was this leak stopped in a good period of time?
Guest:
Richard Rozzelle, Channel Coast District Superintendent for California State Parks. He is on the ground at Refugio State Beach.