Refugio

Summary

• 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.
• STATUS OF RESTORATION: Final Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan completed; restoration projects now in progress; see the Plan and News Updates below for details.

Available Documents

Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement – South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program

• List of Projects Funded through the Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program (PDF)
• Summary of Public Input on Projects Submitted through Refugio Recreation Grants Program, November 2023 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Six full proposals are being considered for funding; public comments are welcome until October 27, 2023 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program: 2023 Request for Proposals Update and Proposed Project Summaries(opens in new tab)
• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program: Request for Proposals – Coal Oil Point Nature Reserve, LA County, Ventura County, 2023 CLOSED(opens in new tab)
• Summary of Public Input on Projects Submitted through Recreation Grants Program, August 2022 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Seven full proposals are being considered for funding; public comments are welcome until July 25, 2022 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program: Request for Proposals CLOSED, 2021(opens in new tab)(opens in new tab)

Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement – Restoration Plan

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

Draft Refugio Beach Oil Spill Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (PDF)(opens in new tab)

Restoration Progress and Monitoring Reports

• Black Abalone Translocations March 2023 Report (PDF)
• Black Abalone Translocations Oct 2023 Report (PDF)
• Black Abalone Translocations - Monitoring Summary Feb2025 (PDF)

Newsletters

• 10-Year Spill Anniversary Newsletter, May 2025 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Trustee Council Update, May 2023 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• NRDA Newsletter, May 2018 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• NRDA Newsletter, May 2018 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• NRDA Newsletter, July 2015 (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• NRDA Newsletter, November 2015 (PDF)(opens in new tab)

Public Meetings

Virtual Public Meeting, May 13, 2020

• Evening Virtual Public Meeting (Video)(opens in new tab)
  • Introduction (PDF)(opens in new tab) (M. Anderson, CDFW-OSPR)
  • Birds (PDF)(opens in new tab) (J. Marek, USFWS)
  • Marine Mammals (PDF)(opens in new tab) (L. Sullivan, NOAA)
  • Subtidal and Fish (PDF)(opens in new tab) (D. Witting, NOAA)
  • Shoreline (PDF)(opens in new tab) (B. Joab, CDFW-OSPR)
  • Human Use (PDF)(opens in new tab) (M. Zafonte, CDFW-OSPR)
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) during the public meeting (PDF)(opens in new tab)

In Person Public Meeting (Santa Barbara Public Library) on January 20, 2016

• NRDA Process Introductory Presentation (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Posters:
  • Mammals (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • Fish (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • Sandy Beach Habitat (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • Rocky Intertidal Habitat (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • Subtidal Habitat (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • Recreational Use (PDF)(opens in new tab)

State Documents

• Notice of Adoption of Federal Document (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Notice of Completion and Environmental Document Transmittal (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Notice of Completion and Environmental Document Transmittal attachment (PDF)(opens in new tab)

Federal Documents and Administrative Record

• NOAA Administrative Record documents search page(opens in new tab)
  • NOAA Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) (PDF)(opens in new tab)
  • DOI (USFWS) concurrence with NOAA’s FONSI determination (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Refugio Beach Oil Spill Notice of Intent (PDF)(opens in new tab)
• Consent Decree (PDF)(opens in new tab)

External References

• NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program(opens in new tab)

Contact

Jennifer Gold
Jennifer.Gold@wildlife.ca.gov
(805) 560-6758