On Wednesday, an oil pipeline ruptured and spilled potentially 105,000 gallons of crude oil onto the California coast. About 21,000 gallons of the oil have reached the Gaviota coastal waters in Santa Barbara, environmentalists are worried about the impact the spilled oil will have on the ecosystem.
The direct cause of the rupture is currently being investigated by both government and private officials. Plains All-American Pipeline is the corporation that owns the ruptured pipeline. CEO Darren Palmer made an apology for the oil spill.
"We deeply regret that this incident has occurred at all. We apologize for the damage it has done to the environment. We apologize to the residents and visitors for the inconvenience it has caused, especially on this Memorial Day weekend," said Palmer.
Authorities from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responded to the situation and planned an excavation that would take place on Thursday. Officials hope the excavation would provide clues to the cause of the rupture.
The Gaviota Coast is a unique ecosystem where plants and animals from northern and southern regions coexist. There are only five such areas in all of the world. Before Wednesday's accident, the Gaviota Coast was seen as the healthiest coastal ecosystem in Southern California.
The Plains All-American Pipeline has had 175 safety and maintenance infractions in the past 9 years. The Times reports that only four companies had more infractions that Plains Pipeline, whose number of infractions is more than thrice the national average. The company has spilled more than 688,000 gallons of harmful chemicals since 2006.
Cleaning up the spilled oil will be difficult, say experts. Wildlife rescue teams are currently assessing the situation and volunteers and government organizations are cleaning the shores. Several hundred workers will be on the coast cleaning the residue, while helicopters and cleanup boats will try to contain and clean oil spills that have gone farther into the ocean.
