The pipeline dumped about 21,000 gallons of crude oil onto the shore near Santa Barbara and into the nearby ocean

May 20, 2015 13:21 GMT  ·  By

This past Tuesday, May 19, a pipeline owned and operated by Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline ruptured and spilled approximately 21,000 gallons of crude oil. 

The rupture and subsequent spill happened close to the city of Santa Barbara in California. Of the thousands of gallons of crude oil that leaked from the pipeline, a considerable amount made it all the way into the nearby ocean.

Latest news says that this crude oil that spilled into Californian waters following the pipeline burst eventually formed a thick coat some 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) in length. Photos of this black coat are available in the video below.

The US Coast Guard says that, once alerted by locals who could smell the leaking crude oil, crews intervened and the spill was contained at about 3 p.m. local time. By then, however, the nearby shoreline and ocean were already contaminated.

The cause of the spill remains unknown

The pipeline that burst open this past Tuesday and caused serious damage to California's otherwise pristine shoreline near Santa Barbara was built back in 1991 and can deliver up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil on a daily basis.

Owner Plains All American Pipeline is yet to offer an explanation for how and why the underground line ruptured. In fact, the company hasn't even disclosed how much oil leaked. The 21,000 gallons estimate comes from the US Coast Guard.

The one piece of information that Plains All American Pipeline has so far been eager to share was that, shortly after the spill was reported, the line was shut down and the culvert blocked to prevent any further catastrophes.

Clean-up operations are now underway 

The US Coast Guard reassures that efforts are now underway to contain the crude oil that reached the Pacific Ocean in the aftermath of the spill and to remove as much of it as possible.

As for the environmental impact of the leak, it looks like the spill was a medium one and, therefore, not a major threat to local wildlife. Still, this doesn't mean it will be business as usual for marine ecosystems in the area.

“We are just kind of looking at the lay of the land here, and it's just devastating,” said resident Josh Marsh, as cited by NBC Los Angeles. “Tomorrow we'll probably see more of a sign of how bad the wildlife affected will be,” added local Morgan Miller.

For the time being, authorities have not made any comments on whether or not local beaches in the region affected by the spill will be open for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.