California oil spill cleanup costs reaches $62 million

GOLETA, Calif. (AP) — The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on the California coast has reached $62 million so far, the pipeline company said today.

Costs are running at $3 million a day, and there is no timetable for when the cleanup will be complete, Plains All American Pipeline's on-scene coordinator, Patrick Hodgins, told The Associated Press.

The company is responsible for footing the bill after a pipeline break near Santa Barbara forced the closure of two state beaches and prompted a fishing ban in the area.

Hodgins said the pipeline operator is not focused on the money.

"The responsibility here is to get it cleaned up as quickly as possible," he said.

About 76 percent of 97 miles of coastline – mostly sandy beaches – have been cleared of oil. Crews are using putty knives and other tools to scrape oil off rocks and cobble beaches – a labor-intensive process that's dictated by tidal conditions.

"The beaches are fairly clean," said Coast Guard Capt. Jennifer Williams, one of two federal response coordinators. "We're making progress on the shoreline cleanup."