Tar Washed Up on SoCal Beach Linked to Refugio Oil Spill

State officials say tar from the Santa Barbara oil spill last month washed up on a Los Angeles County beach.

Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said Monday that a tar ball found May 27 on Manhattan Beach was traced to the spill.

The finding is the first confirmation that tar found on Southern California beaches came from the Plains All American Pipeline that dumped up to 101,000 gallons of crude oil on the coast May 19.

Federal regulators are investigating what caused the corroded pipe to rupture.

Tar balls began washing up on Ventura County and Los Angeles County beaches about a week after the spill.

Plains covered the cleanup costs on those beaches while the oil was tested to make sure it didn't come from natural seepage.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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