Refugio Oil Spill
2015 CE.
Shown on the map at 34.461°, -120.085°.
The Refugio oil spill occurred on May 19, 2015 along the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It contaminated one of the most biologically diverse areas of the West Coast of the United States with 142,800 U.S. gallons (3,400 barrels; 541,000 liters) of crude oil. The corroded pipeline that caused the spill closed for almost 11 years, resulting in financial impacts to the county estimated as high as $74 million since it and a related pipeline remained out of service for three years. The cost of the cleanup was estimated by the company to be $96 million with overall expenses including expected legal claims and potential settlements to be around $257 million. Hundreds of animals along the coast were coated with thick crude oil and many died. State parks and beaches located along the Gaviota Coast were temporarily closed. While much smaller than the oil rig blowout that resulted in the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, this incident may have greater long term effects due to its potential impact on four state marine protected areas.
Text from the Wikipedia article Refugio oil spill, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.