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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| California investigates nine-mile oil slick | California investigates nine-mile oil slick |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Clean-up crews are working around the clock as investigators look into how tens of thousands of gallons of oil spewed into the sea off Santa Barbara. | Clean-up crews are working around the clock as investigators look into how tens of thousands of gallons of oil spewed into the sea off Santa Barbara. |
| More than 7,000 gallons (31,800 litres) of oil have been mopped from the spill - a fraction of the 20,000 gallons officials say spilled into the sea after a pipe burst on Tuesday. | |
| Federal officials are to excavate the pipe to find clues to how it ruptured. | Federal officials are to excavate the pipe to find clues to how it ruptured. |
| The company responsible for the pipeline has publicly apologised. | The company responsible for the pipeline has publicly apologised. |
| Up to 105,000 gallons spilled over a period of three hours on Tuesday - the majority of the oil remained on land. | |
| More than 300 federal, state and local responders are now on the scene. | |
| California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to help the state "quickly mobilise all available resources". | California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to help the state "quickly mobilise all available resources". |
| "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline," he added. | "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline," he added. |
| State and local prosecutors are investigating the incident to see if criminal charges could be brought or if there are grounds for civil liability. | State and local prosecutors are investigating the incident to see if criminal charges could be brought or if there are grounds for civil liability. |
| It is estimated about 21,000 gallons of oil have reached the ocean, forming a nine-mile (15km) slick. and it remains unclear how long the clean-up process will take or what it will cost. | It is estimated about 21,000 gallons of oil have reached the ocean, forming a nine-mile (15km) slick. and it remains unclear how long the clean-up process will take or what it will cost. |
| "We deeply, deeply regret that this incident has occurred at all," Plains All American Pipeline LP Chairman and CEO Greg Armstrong said, apologising. | "We deeply, deeply regret that this incident has occurred at all," Plains All American Pipeline LP Chairman and CEO Greg Armstrong said, apologising. |
| Mr Armstrong vowed that his company "will remain here until everything has been restored to normal". | |
| Emergency workers have been fanning out across Refugio State Beach to remove oil that is stuck to sand and rocks. | Emergency workers have been fanning out across Refugio State Beach to remove oil that is stuck to sand and rocks. |
| Officials are pleading with members of the public that wish to volunteer to go through official channels, because of the health risks that working around the oil can present. | |
| The 24-inch pipe was built in 1991 and had been tested a few weeks ago, company officials said. | The 24-inch pipe was built in 1991 and had been tested a few weeks ago, company officials said. |
| Environmentalists are concerned that the oil may harm wildlife including birds and whales, with seals, sea lions and whales also migrating north through the area. | Environmentalists are concerned that the oil may harm wildlife including birds and whales, with seals, sea lions and whales also migrating north through the area. |
| "It smells like what they use to pave the roads," tourist Fan Yang told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm sad for the birds, if they lose their habitat." | "It smells like what they use to pave the roads," tourist Fan Yang told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm sad for the birds, if they lose their habitat." |
| A wildlife official said that five oiled pelicans are now being treated at a wildlife facility, and that a number of dead marine animals have been recovered. | |
| The spill happened on the same stretch of beach as a 1969 spill - one that is credited with starting the American environmental movement. | The spill happened on the same stretch of beach as a 1969 spill - one that is credited with starting the American environmental movement. |
| In that incident, several hundred thousand gallons spewed from a blowout on an oil platform, resulting in the death of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals. | In that incident, several hundred thousand gallons spewed from a blowout on an oil platform, resulting in the death of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals. |
| The alarm was first raised on Tuesday when authorities received reports of a foul smell near Refugio State Beach around midday (04:00 GMT). | The alarm was first raised on Tuesday when authorities received reports of a foul smell near Refugio State Beach around midday (04:00 GMT). |
| Emergency responders found a half-mile slick in the ocean and traced the origin to a ruptured onshore pipeline spewing oil into a rainwater drain which ran to the ocean. | Emergency responders found a half-mile slick in the ocean and traced the origin to a ruptured onshore pipeline spewing oil into a rainwater drain which ran to the ocean. |
| The pipeline was shut off about three hours later. | The pipeline was shut off about three hours later. |