Two weeks after the Refugio oil spill, the ruptured section of Line 901 has been excavated and shipped off to an undisclosed location in Ohio for investigation, and a brand-new pipe had been installed and painted green. Though the ruptured section of pipeline is gone — and many details about it remain undisclosed — more than 1,000 workers, researchers, and personnel are still on scene. Many questions linger about the infrastructure’s lack of an automatic shutoff valve, the federal agency known as Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and about the remaining time frame for restoration efforts. Likewise, impacts to fishermen, wildlife, tourism, the area oil industry, and bureaucratic oversight are still pouring in.
Fishermen Feel the Pain
No one knows how long the 138 square miles of fisheries blocked off after the spill will remain closed. But the closure hasn’t stopped some fishermen from venturing past the boundaries. Game wardens have made contact with some, but no one has been cited. One shrimper was forced to dump an entire batch — reportedly $3,000 worth — back into the water. At the time, fisherman Mike McCorkle contended, the shrimper was in water 430 feet deep. “It’s a joke,” said McCorkle of the large size of the closure. “We fish there all the time.”