Refugio

Details

• LOCATION: Refugio and El Capitan State Beaches, Santa Barbara Channel, and portions of the southern California coastline south to the Los Angeles area.
• DATE: May 19, 2015
• INCIDENT SUMMARY: An underground pipeline running parallel to Highway 101 ruptured near Refugio State Beach, spilling over 123,000 gallons of crude oil, much of which ran down a ravine under the freeway and entered the ocean.
• RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., and Plains Pipeline, L.P. (jointly, Plains)
• NATURAL RESOURCE TRUSTEES: California Department of Fish and Wildlife; California Department of Parks and Recreation; California State Lands Commission; University of California; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the Department of Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
• RESOURCES IMPACTED: Birds, marine mammals, fish, coastal and subtidal habitats, and human uses.
• SETTLEMENT DETAILS: The trustees settled the NRDA portion of the case for $22 million. This includes $2.2 million for bird restoration, $2.3 million for marine mammal restoration, $5.5 million for shoreline habitat restoration, $6.1 for subtidal and fish habitat restoration, $3.9 million for human use and recreational improvements, and $2 million for administration and oversight.

Available Documents

Refugio Beach Oil Spill Trustee Council Virtual Public Meeting on May 13, 2020

Copies of meeting presentations (PDF):

• Introduction (PDF) (M. Anderson, CDFW-OSPR)
• Birds (PDF) (J. Marek, USFWS)
• Marine Mammals (PDF) (L. Sullivan, NOAA)
• Subtidal and Fish (PDF) (D. Witting, NOAA)
• Shoreline (PDF) (B. Joab, CDFW-OSPR)
• Human Use (PDF) (M. Zafonte, CDFW-OSPR)

Meeting Presentations

• May 13, 2020 Evening Virtual Public Meeting (Video)

FAQs

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) during the public meeting (PDF)

Written public comments on the Draft Refugio Beach Oil Spill Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment will be accepted until June 8, 2020 and can be sent via electronic mail to RefugioRestoration@fws.gov or by U.S. mail to the address listed in the restoration plan.

Download a copy of the draft restoration plan here: Draft Refugio Beach Oil Spill Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (PDF)

• Appendix A Oil Fate and Transport (PDF)
  
• Appendix B Data Management and Access (PDF)
  
• Appendix C Resource Equivalency Analysis (PDF)
• Appendix D Shoreline Exposure and Injury Evaluation Studies (PDF)
• Appendix E Supplemental Bioassay Report Information (PDF)
• Appendix F Shoreline Habitat Equivalency Analysis (PDF)
• Appendix G-1 Fish and Invertebrate Mortality Observations (PDF)
• Appendix G-2 Field and Laboratory Assessment of Injury to Grunion (PDF)
• Appendix G-3 Assessment of Surfperch Exposure (PDF)
• Appendix G-4 Oil Exposure and Potential Effects to Fish, Invertebrate Early Life Stages,
  and Kelp (PDF)
• Appendix G-5 Changes in the Condition of Surfgrass and Macroalgae (PDF)
• Appendix G-6 Field Assessment of Subtidal Exposure (PDF)
• Appendix G-7 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Nearshore Fish and Invertebrate Tissues
  (PDF)
• Appendix H Subtidal Injury Quantification and Habitat Equivalency Analysis (PDF)
• Appendix I Bird Injury Assessment (PDF)
• Appendix J Marine Mammal Exposure, Injury, and Restoration (PDF)
• Appendix K Recreational Camping Damages (PDF)
• Appendix L Recreational Shoreline Use Damages (PDF)
• Appendix M Recreational Boating and Offshore Use Damages (PDF)
• Appendix N Summary of Proposed Restoration Projects (PDF)


• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Notice of Intent (PDF)
• NRDA Newsletter, May 2018 (PDF)
• Public Meeting, January 20, 2016
  • NRDA Process Introductory Presentation (PDF)
  • Posters:
    • Birds (PDF)
    • Mammals (PDF)
    • Fish (PDF)
    • Sandy Beach Habitat (PDF)
    • Rocky Intertidal Habitat (PDF)
    • Subtidal Habitat (PDF)
    • Recreational Use (PDF)
• NRDA Newsletter, November 2015 (PDF)
• To suggest restoration project ideas, use this online form
• NRDA Newsletter, July 2015 (PDF)

Administrative Record

• Administrative Record documents
• Consent Decree (PDF)

External Links

• NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program