SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Archives

The Santa Barbara Oil Spill Caught a Small Federal Regulator at a Vulnerable Time

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has scarcely more staffers than the agency responsible for America's 59 war cemeteries.

Any oil that would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean is out of sight—but officials shouldn't put it out of mind.

A collection of on-the-ground pictures and observations from Pacific Standard's staff.

A collection of on-the-ground photographs from Gail Osherenko.

The scrubbing, soaking, and skimming happening now on the Santa Barbara coast are the same methods used back in 1969.

History—and science—have a lot to teach us here in Santa Barbara, California.

History—and science—have a lot to teach us here in Santa Barbara, California.

For Santa Barbara tourism, the recent oil spill could present a crude reality.