Refugio Beach Oil Spill Incident - Fisheries Closure Chemical Testing Results Summary
On May 19, 2015, following the Refugio Beach oil spill incident in Santa Barbara County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) implemented a fisheries closure as recommended by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). The closure area was expanded significantly on May 21, based on aerial observations and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oil spill trajectory models of where the oil was likely to move. Based on the health evaluation described below, OEHHA recommended on June 29, 2015 that CDFW rescind the fishery closure order.