California beach to reopen 2 months after oil spill

Officials Friday announced plans to reopen Refugio State Beach following a massive oil spill that occurred near Santa Barbara.

The beach has been closed since the Plains All-American pipeline oil spill back on May 19.

Hjelstrom said officials had completed a site assessment of Refugio State Beach and had determined that it was safe for members of the public to use again. However, areas south of the beach that are not state park areas remain closed as cleanup continues there, authorities said.

GOLETA, Calif. (AP) – A California beach fouled by oil will reopen to swimmers and campers two months after a pipeline ruptured and spewed thousands of gallons of crude along the coast. About 21,000 gallons flowed into the Pacific Ocean.

Refugio and El Capitan state beaches were shut down due to the spill.

Almost 250 petroleum-stained sea birds have been recovered dead and alive since the spill, along with over 260 marine mammals suspected of being spill casualties, according to a running tally kept by wildlife officials. The panel also wants the company to explain how it reported the leak to the National Response Center, a clearinghouse for reports of hazardous-material releases.