Refugio Beach Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment

Prepared by: Department of Fish and Wildlife California State Lands Commission California Department of Parks and Recreation University of California Te Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (BLM); the CDFW-OSPR; the California Executive Summary Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR); the California State Lands Commission (CSLC); and the Regents About the Spill of the University of California (the Trustees). On May 19, 2015 a 24-inch diameter on- shore pipeline (Line 901) that extends As a designated Trustee, each of approximately 10.7 miles along the Santa these agencies is authorized to act on Barbara County coastline in California behalf of the public under state and/ ruptured resulting in the release of or federal law to assess and recover approximately 2,934 barrels (bbl) of natural resource damages and to plan (Pipeline and Hazardous and implement actions to restore, Materials Safety Administration 2016). rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the Western snowy plovers are one of the shore species that equivalent of the affected natural Line 901 is a buried, insulated pipeline Natural Resource Damage Assessment scientists track were affected by the in 2015. Photo by Hazel resources injured as a result of a that transports heated crude oil from changes in rocky intertidal following the Refugio Rodriguez/USFWS. discharge of oil. Exxon Mobil’s storage tanks in Las Flores spill. Photo by Jenny Marek/USFWS. response, the Incident Commanders Canyon westward to Plains’ Gaviota consisted of the United States Coast Pumping Station. The pipeline is owned discharged into the Pacific Ocean at Guard (USCG), California Department of Draft Damage and operated by Plains Pipeline, L.P. (a . Fish and Wildlife (CDFW-OSPR), Santa subsidiary of Plains All-American Pipeline Assessment and The crude oil that entered the ocean Barbara County, and Plains Pipeline. Company). posed a significant risk to and injured The Unified Command officially declared Restoration Plan marine plants and wildlife, including the response to be complete on March Under the Oil Pollution Act regulations seagrasses, kelp, invertebrates, fish, 2, 2017, 653 days after the spill (U.S. ((33 U.S.C. 2706(b)), the Trustees , and mammals. In addition Coast Guard 2017). have cooperatively gathered to direct natural resource impacts, information for this Draft Damage the closure of beaches and fisheries Assessment and Restoration Plan occurred days before the Memorial Day Natural Resource (DARP)/Environmental Assessment weekend resulting in losses for local (EA) for public review and comment. businesses and lost opportunities for Damage Assessment This document describes the injuries the public to visit and enjoy the shore In parallel with the response and clean- resulting from the spill and proposes and offshore areas. up effort, the natural resources trustee restoration projects intended to agencies (Trustees) conducted a Natural Some tar balls attributable to the Line compensate the public for those Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) 901 release were carried by southerly injuries. Bruce Joab with California Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean currents and eventually reached to quantify the injuries to natural This document is also an preps with NRDA field teams for tar ball sampling the morning some beaches in Los Angeles County resources from the spill and to seek Environmental Assessment intended of May 26, 2015. Photo courtesy of NRDA Field Teams. (California Department of Fish and compensation in the form of restoration to satisfy the Federal Trustees’ Wildlife 2016). projects. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials requirement to evaluate the In this case, the Trustees for the natural Safety Administration (PHMSA) The clean-up of this significant spill environmental impacts of the proposed resources injured by the spill include the determined that the cause of the Line brought together a large number of restoration projects under the National United States Department of Commerce 901 failure was external corrosion that federal, state, local agencies, and Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This represented by the National Oceanic and thinned the pipe wall to a level where it Native American tribes operating under document is therefore called a DARP/ Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); ruptured suddenly and released heavy a Unified Command. For the Refugio EA. crude oil. Crude oil from the buried the United States Department of the pipeline saturated the soil and flowed ON THE COVER: Oiled Beach by U.S. Coast Guard. Photo of oiled Interior represented by the United into a culvert that crosses under Highwa o ctopus by NOAA, dolphins by NRDA, pelicans by USFWS, and States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) harbor seal by Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper. 101 and railroad tracks and ultimately and the Bureau of Land Management considered part of the official record. Comments should be sent by email to [email protected] or by letter Refugio Beach Oil Spill Natural Resource to: Damage Assessment Summary: Refugio Oil Spill Natural Resource Trustees C/O Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office 2493 Portola Road, Suite B Shoreline Habitats Human Uses California sea lion sunbathing off the Channel Islands. Ventura, California 93004 $5.5 million $3.9 million Photo by Lara Drizd/USFWS. Attn: Injury: Approximately 1,500 acres of shoreline Injury: The Trustees estimate over 140,000 lost Full environmental review would be were impacted including sandy beach recreational user days in Santa Barbara and premature for some of the proposed Michael Anderson, California Departmen and rocky intertidal habitats. Ventura Counties; six days of beach closures projects in the document, particularly of Fish and Wildlife in Los Angeles County; and lost research, 2nd tier projects. Additional review Restoration: Remove Ellwood , enhance education, and outreach opportunities at the Laurie Sullivan, National Oceanic and black abalone populations, and restore University of California, Santa Barbara Coal Oil may be required if those projects Atmospheric Administration degraded sand dune habitats. Point Natural Reserve. Affected recreational are implemented, and the need activities included camping, sunbathing, beach Jenny Marek, U.S. Fish and Wildlife for additional NEPA review will be combing, exercising, swimming, wildlife viewing, Service determined once detailed engineering Subtidal and Fish Habitats fishing, diving, boating and surfing. design work or operational plans are $6.1 million developed for those projects. Under The trustess will hold a public webinar Restoration: Injury: Approximately 2,200 acres of benthic Restoration funds (53%) will be administered OPA, the responsible party (RP) is on May 13, 2020 from 1:00 - 3:00 subtidal habitat were impacted. by State Parks for use on projects benefiting liable for the cost of implementing pm (PST), and later that evening from camping and shore-based recreation from restoration projects, as well as the 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (PST). In this virtual Restoration: Restore abalone populations in Gaviota State Park to El Capitan State Beach. costs incurred by the Trustees to public meeting, trustees will present the Marine Protected Areas, restore eelgrass beds in undertake this damage assessment. draft plan, have an “open house” writte Refugio cove, remove Ellwood seawall, restore Restoration funds (46%) will be administered sand dwelling kelp offshore of . by State Trustees for use on projects benefiting The Trustees have settled this claim question and answer session, take coastal recreation in Ventura County, Los for natural resource damages with the written public comments. Angeles County, and Santa Barbara County RP for $22.3 million, subject to Court outside of State Park property upcoast of El Both written questions, and written Birds approval. $2.2 million Capitan State Beach. public comments will be submitted The Trustees have prepared this draft through the webinar platform. Injury: 558 birds were estimated killed, repre- Restoration funds (aproximately 1%) will be DARP/EA to inform the public about the senting over 28 different species. administered by the University of California for natural resource damage assessment use on projects benefiting research, education, Register for the webinar at: Restoration: Remove invasive plants from or outreach at the Coal Oil Point Reserve. and restoration planning efforts that brown pelican nesting colonies on Anacapa have been conducted following the oil https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ Island, reduce seabird injuries from recreational spill. t/5071390037067886094 fishing, and implement conservation actions for Restoration Planning, western snowy plovers. Implementation, and After registering, participants will Public Input receive a confirmation email with Marine Mammals Oversight $2 million The Trustees seek comments on the instructions for joining the webinar. $2.3 million restoration alternatives presented A GoToWebinar system check is Injury: 156 pinnipeds and 76 cetaceans were here. Public review of this draft recommended before attending. estimated injured or killed. Public Input DARP/EA is an integral component Full Document: https://go.usa.gov/xvWEg of the restoration planning process. Restoration: Increase the capability to recover and rehabilitate marine mammals in distress Administrative Record: https://go.usa.gov/xvWEc A public review period is being held in Santa Barbra and Ventura County, and Comment Period: April 22, 2020 to June 8, 2020 on this draft plan from April 22, 2020 Increase the capability to respond to instances Virtual Public Meetings: May 13, 2020,1:00 pm to June 5, 2020. Written comments of cetacean entanglement in the Santa and 6:00 pm (PST) Barbara Channel. must be received by that date to be Submit Comments: [email protected]