A split on the Plains All American Pipeline-owned pipeline located along the California coastline has lead to the spill of about some 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.
US Coast Guard petty officer Andrea Anderson said an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the 24-inch pipeline rupture, which created two oil slicks, stretching nine miles along the central California coastline.
On 19 March, officials traced an onshore pipeline burst that lead to the oil leakage into a gutter, which that ultimately connects to the ocean, following reports of a foul smell near Refugio State Beach.
Meanwhile, the company has launched emergency response procedures after closing the oil flow, which was rated at about 84,000 gallons an hour, in the pipeline, reported BBC News.
Plains All American Pipeline official Darren Palmer said the pipeline has undergone testing few weeks ago and said it will pay for the oil spill cleanup.
The company said in a statement: "Plains deeply regrets this release has occurred and is making every effort to limit its environmental impact."
Santa Barbara County emergency manager Richard Abrams said: "We haven’t seen any reports of impacts on wildlife but it is in the water so it is impacting the environment."
Currently, the Coast Guard, county emergency officials and state parks officials are jointly working to clean up the oil spill, which resulted in closure of the Refugio State Beach.