A paddle out at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara aims to bring attention to California coastline threats
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health. The Surfrider Foundation 's 2025 paddle out at Refugio State beach marked the 10 year anniversary of the Plains All American oil spill .
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, The Surfrider Foundation is hosting a protest in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday to oppose what it sees as mounting threats to our California coastline. In 2015, a pipeline operated by Plains All American spilled more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil near Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County.
Hundreds of marine mammals were killed or injured and beaches across the region were contaminated.
“I live in Ventura. We had a bottlenose dolphin wash up here that was covered in oil,” Hickman told LAist.
“That was really sad to see. And there was oil on the beach all the way down to L.A. ”If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
The spill also “shut down fisheries, closed multiple beaches, and impacted recreational uses such as camping, non-commercial fishing, and beach visits,” In March, the Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act to bring that same pipeline, now run by Texas-based Sable Offshore,tens of thousands of barrels of oil a day, as well as “provide a secure, consistent source of domestic crude oil, replacing approximately 1 million barrels per month of imports. ”“Right now it seems like if you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention,” Hickman said.
“And luckily a lot of people are really fired up about all of the threats to the environment and particularly the Santa Barbara channel. ” Oil spills like the one in 2015 could also deeply affect tourism, the fishing industry and lead to billions in cleanup costs, according to Gov, Gavin Newsom’s office. statement opposing the Trump administration’s new offshore drilling plans, the governor’s office said the state's coastal economy “supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and generates over On Sunday morning, Hickman will be part of a spiritual ritual in surf culture: a paddle-out into the ocean at Refugio State Beach.
He said anyone with a human-powered craft is welcome to join the circle to oppose drilling on our coasts.
“People are standing up. There’s a lot of opposition,” Hickman said.
“Californians really treasure our coast, our beaches, our waves and really want to protect them. ” You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community.
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