Thursday, May 21, 2015

State of Emergency Declared for California Oil Spill

The western U.S. state of California has declared a state of emergency for an area of coastline hit with one of the worst oil spills in the state's recent history.

Governor Jerry Brown issued the emergency proclamation late Wednesday, a day after the spill was discovered Tuesday at Refugio State Beach, in southern California near the city of Santa Barbara. 


The proclamation frees up set-aside state funding to assist with cleanup.

The leak is reported to have come from a rupture in an onshore oil pipeline. Officials estimate more than 100,000 gallons of oil may have leaked out before the oil flow was shut off late Tuesday, and about 21,000 gallons may have seeped down the beach to the sea.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said the spill spans about 15 kilometers of coastline. Since cleanup efforts began Wednesday, more than 6,000 gallons of oil have been collected.

The company that runs the pipeline, Plains All American Pipeline LP, has apologized and says it is conducting cleanup operations around the clock.

That area of coastline is known for one of the nation's biggest oil spills in 1969. 


That spill helped inspire the U.S. environmental movement that continues its activity today.
 intinfo.com

21/5/15
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5 comments:

  1. S. California oil spill needs 3 days to clean up ...

    The clean-up of about 9 miles ( about 15 kilometers) of oil spill slick along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County of Southern California will need at least 3 days, officials of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management said Wednesday.

    An underground pipeline ruptured on Tuesday and spilled about 21,000 gallons of crude, according to the Spill Prevention and Response Office of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

    The source was secured, but an unknown amount reached the Pacific Ocean, the office said in a press release.

    Clean up operations and investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network has activated recovery teams to collect oiled animals.

    Mark Crossland, a captain with the CDFW, was quoted by local media as saying that some wildlife will likely be affected because of the spill.

    CDFW closed fishing and shell fish harvesting in Santa Barbara County from one mile west of Refugio State Beach to one mile east of the beach following the crude oil pipeline spill.
    http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-05/21/content_35622536.htm
    21/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  2. Στον καθαρισμό της πετρελαιοκηλίδας που δημιουργήθηκε την Τρίτη στην περιοχή της Σάντα Μπάρμπαρα προχωρούν οι τοπικές Αρχές, όπως ανακοίνωσε το Λιμενικό Σώμα της περιοχής...

    Εκπρόσωποι της εταιρείας πετρελαίου Exxonmobil βρίσκονται στην παραλία Ρεφούτζιο προκειμένου να παρακολουθούν την διαδικασία καθαρισμού της πετρελαιοκηλίδας η οποία δημιουργήθηκε από διαρροή πετρελαίου όταν αγωγός που ήταν υπό την επίβλεψη της εταιρείας Plains All American Pipeline.

    Να σημειωθεί τέλος πως την διαδικασία έχει αναλάβει συνεργείο που ειδικεύεται σε τέτοιες περιπτώσεις. Στην περιοχή βρίσκονται και οι Υπηρεσίες Έκτακτης Ανάγκης της Καλιφόρνια προκειμένου να βοηθήσουν όπου χρειαστεί.
    kathimerini.com.cy
    21/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marée noire en Californie : l’entreprise qui exploite l’oléoduc mise en cause...

    La compagnie exploitant l’oléoduc dont la fuite a provoqué une marée noire le long des côtes californiennes a promis, jeudi 21 mai, de « faire ce qu’il faut » pour nettoyer le pétrole, mais des questions ont émergé sur les pratiques de cette entreprise.

    La société Plains All American Pipeline a affirmé qu’environ 30 000 litres de pétrole avaient été récupérés sur les 80 000 qui s’étaient écoulés dans l’océan près de Santa Barbara, au nord-ouest de Los Angeles. La fuite a provoqué une nappe d’environ 14 kilomètres de long, ont précisé les autorités qui ont décrété l’état d’urgence dans cette zone touristique..........En savoir plus sur http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2015/05/22/maree-noire-en-californie-les-antecedents-de-l-entreprise-qui-exploite-l-oleoduc-responsable_4638282_3244.html#7czy85TXPbmbjC8K.99
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  4. Finding cause of California oil spill could take months...

    The operator of a broken oil pipeline that fouled a California shoreline says it could be weeks or even months before investigators are able to determine what caused the break and subsequent spill.

    Crews have yet to excavate the broken piece of pipeline, which under the law must be done in the presence of federal regulators and a third party, officials with Plains All American Pipeline LP said at a Thursday night news conference at the Santa Barbara County beach where the spill occurred two days earlier.

    "We have not even uncovered the pipe yet," said Patrick Hodgins, senior director of safety for Plains All American...........http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/finding-cause-of-california-oil-spill-could-take-months-1.2385450
    22/5/15

    ReplyDelete
  5. USA: Santa Barbara nettoie ses plages et évalue les dégâts de la marée noire...

    Des dizaines d'hommes et femmes en combinaison blanche, bottes de caoutchouc, gants et casques s'affairaient vendredi, pelles en main, pour enlever les plaques de pétroles sur la plage californienne de Refugio, trois jours après le début de la marée noire.

    Des sacs en plastiques remplis de sable noirci s'amoncellent. L'odeur de mazout entête jusqu'à plusieurs kilomètres à la ronde.

    Au loin sur l'eau flottent de longues lanières de bouées vouées à contenir l'expansion de la nappe d'hydrocarbures, qui s'étend sur 10 kilomètres de côte au large de Santa Barbara (ouest des Etats-Unis).

    Le sable est redevenu quasi propre, mais les rochers restent souillés par le mazout qui s'est échappé d'un oléoduc de la société Plains All American Pipeline situé sur une colline surplombant Refugio State Beach et la plage attenante d'El Capitan.

    Toutes deux sont fermées jusqu'à nouvel ordre, alors qu'elles auraient dû être bondées de touristes pour ce week-end prolongé du Memorial day aux Etats-Unis....AFP....rtbf.be

    ReplyDelete

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