Last of oil-fouled beaches reopens

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. A California beach fouled by an enormous oil spill nearly two months ago is reopening, and officials say the costly cleanup is nearly complete.

Refugio Beach is the last of the beaches that were closed when a corroded onshore pipeline ruptured. It was expected to reopen Friday.

The May 19 break spilled up to 383,000 litres of crude, including 80,000 litres that reached the Pacific Ocean. Goo washed up as far as 160 kilometres away.

As of last month, cleanup costs had climbed to $92 million US.

On Thursday, government officials overseeing the cleanup pegged the work at 98-per-cent complete, based on assessments of dozens of sites along the shoreline.

About 300 workers remain on the job, mostly focused on an area near the site where oil flowed into the ocean through a storm drain culvert.

There’s no estimate of when the job will be complete.

In late June, state officials allowed fishing to resume across 357 square kilometres of water off the Santa Barbara coast that had been off limits.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is investigating the cause of the spill, and state prosecutors have been considering potential charges against operator Plains All American Pipeline. A congressional committee is also investigating.

The Houston-based company has faced criticism for how long it took to relay information to the federal government after the break.

Wildlife officials reported that nearly 200 birds and more than 100 marine mammals were found dead in the spill area. However, investigators have not determined whether the spill played any role in those deaths.

Mark Crossland of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said the cleanup marked the first phase of the agency’s work.

“When the cleanup is finished, restoration begins, which is critical for the environment and the community. We will be here until that restoration is complete,” Crossland said in a statement.