California Gov. Jerry Brown declares state of emergency after pipeline breach leaves oil slick off the state coast. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Goard

Workers gather buckets of oil along Refugio Beach as efforts continue to remove the oil that has spilled an estimated 21,000 gallons off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil booms are deployed to contain the oil slick at Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil covered rocks are pictured at Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil washes ashore at Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Workers gather buckets of oil along Refugio Beach as efforts continue to remove the oil that has spilled an estimated 21,000 gallons off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil covered rocks and sand are pictured at Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil booms are deployed to contain the oil slick off Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Oil washes ashore at Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Workers gather buckets of oil along Refugio Beach as efforts continue to remove the oil that has spilled an estimated 100,000 gallons off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

An oil boom is deployed to contain the oil slick off Refugio State Beach off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak 100,000 gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Buckets of oil are collected along Refugio Beach as efforts continue to remove the oil that has spilled an estimated 100,000 gallons off the Santa Barbara County coast in Goleta, California on May 20, 2015. State and federal officials on Wednesday investigated what caused a 2-foot-diameter underground pipeline to leak thousands of gallons of crude oil that polluted several miles of wildlife-rich beach and ocean along the scenic Santa Barbara coast. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

SACRAMENTO, May 21 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County after an oil spill from a pipeline left a major slick off the state coast.

"This emergency proclamation cuts red tape and helps the state quickly mobilize all available resources," the governor said in a statement. "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline."


Responders in California said a worst-case estimate is that 2,500 barrels of crude was released from a pipeline operated by Plains All American, which has headquarters in Texas. The pipeline was constructed in 1987 and has the capacity to deliver 150,000 barrels of oil per day, with an average flow rate of 1,200 barrels per hour.

A unified command center said about 500 barrels may have migrated from the pipeline into the waters of the coast of Refugio State Beach.

Responders so far have deployed about 3,000 feet of containment boom, closed area beaches and enacted a fishing ban.

"The response has initiated an active area-sampling plan to identify areas impacted as a result of the oil spill," responders said. "Ambient air testing has been initiated throughout the affected area."

The governor's office said the pipeline company was working closely with state and federal officials in their response. More than 270 people are on hand working on cleanup operations.

Organizers with Food and Water Watch said they'd hold a rally to express their frustration with the spill. The group said the issue should be seen as evidence of the need to "ban extreme oil extraction like fracking and phase out oil development in California."

State officials said the oil in the pipeline came from an above-ground storage tank facility and was on its way to southern California refineries.

California is the No. 3 oil producer in the nation.