In response to a question in the comments on an “Rock Groups” Edhat item from me, here’s a pic of the work going on atop the hill above the old Gaviota settlement. This view is from offshore looking North where hwy.101 turns away from the coast, taken 5/27/2015.
2015/06/16
Rock Petting
The May 19, 2015 oil spill by Plains All American Pipeline near the Refugio Beach park is said to have spread more than a hundred miles along our beaches. The most obvious signs of it still visible from the air now are on beach rocks between Refugio and El Capitan.
Rock cleaning parties like this are scattered along many beaches, as crews of white suited workers sprawl chatting as they scrub tar off and bag it for disposal.
Where there had been many boulders wearing dalmatian decorations of tar, now most have been cleaned nearly back to their pre-spill appearance. Thousands of bags filled with tar from boulders, beaches, and boats collecting it off the water are being trucked away.
Even after all this work by hundreds of people, there’s still far more oil and tar on our local waters than we’ve seen before. Some or all of it may be due to increased natural seepage due to pressure buildup deep beneath the sea floor when oil production was shut down.





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