California Governor Issues State Of Emergency After Santa Barbara Oil Spill
On Tuesday, May 19th,there was a large oil spill off the coast of California, near Santa Barbara. It dumped 21,000 gallons of oil that has since begun washing up on shore. Now the spill measures over 9 miles long.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in his state on May 20th,. He did this because it “cuts red tape and helps the state quickly mobilize all available resources,” Gov. Brown told BuzzFeed. It’s his belief that doing so will help protect California’s valuable coastline.
All of this occurred when Plains All-American’s 24-inch pipe ruptured onshore, sending thousands of gallons of oil down a nearby storm drain that leads to the ocean. The Coast Guard has since deployed three sets of floating booms to contain the spill. They’re using other boats to skim the oil off the top of the ocean’s surface. Skimmers, vacuum trucks and absorbent pads have also been deployed.
