Santa Barbara Oil Spill and its Legacy

• In Event: Summer of ’69: Iconic Environmental Events 50 Years Later

Abstract

Teresa Sabol Spezio explores the legacy of the Santa Barbara oil spill. The blowout that occurred just eight days after the inauguration of Richard Nixon revealed the problems of the increasing need for oil as the United States increased its consumption of automobiles, appliances and single family homes. Newspapers, magazines and broadcast news splashed photos of oil-covered beaches, seals and birds into the American consciousness. The spill gave congressional representatives the evidence to force their colleagues and Nixon to approve substantial legislation including the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 and two Clean Water Acts in 1970 and 1972. Gaylord Nelson developed the idea of Earth Day while flying home from a visit to Santa Barbara. Additionally, in response to the oil spill, scientists found new ways to detect pollution in water. No longer were smell, taste, sight and disease the only methods for detecting pollution. With the new technologies, non-sensory pollution could be detected in water. The detection of chemicals in water changed the way Congress and the American public viewed water pollution. With these substantial changes in federal water policies, one would think that the people of Santa Barbara won their battle against more offshore oil platforms. Unfortunately, fifty years after the spill, Santa Barbara residents still have not gained a moratorium on offshore oil exploration or drilling. The Trump Administration has recommended additional activities in off coast of California. The response to the spill is an interesting look at the relationship between local and non-local benefits and risks in response to human-made disasters.

Author

• Teresa Sabol Spezio, Pitzer College