UPDATE 4/3/20 – Cleanup is now complete at the Cuyama River in Santa Barbara County, where a tanker truck accident resulted in the release of 4,500 gallons of crude oil on March 21.
Members of the Unified Command leading the response walked through the entire site today and agreed that all cleanup endpoints in the Incident Action Plan have been met.
All of the underflow dams once used to contain the oil have been removed and the shoreline restored.
Equipment decontamination and demobilization will take place next week, along with additional analysis and investigation.
Crews have been following stringent safety protocols in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. No illnesses were reported during the course of the response.
Nine Western pond turtles recovered oiled during the response remain in care at Pacific Wildlife Care in Morro Bay. They will eventually be released where they were recovered. More wildlife information can be found at Owcn.org.
Media Contact: Eric Laughlin, Incident PIO, 916-214-3279