USA: State of emergency declared as Cali oil spill disaster hits 397,000 litres

Coast guard crews continued to clean up around 105,000 gallons (397,000 litters) of crude oil on Thursday after it leaked from a ruptured pipeline in Goleta just two days earlier, flowing into the ocean near Santa Barbara, California. Coast guards, emergency personnel and specialised cleaning services swept the coast in areas most affected, particularly at the Refugio State Beach. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County over the oil spill on Wednesday. Coast Crews managed to halt the leak by around 15.00 local time on Tuesday according to authorities. The 24-inch (60 cm) diameter pipeline, owned by Plains All American Pipeline, was shut down and blocked to prevent more oil from spilling into the ocean.