The Union Oil Company blowout in Santa Barbara Channel which resulted in a 800 sq mile oil slick covered an estimated 30 miles of Socal beaches. The blowout started January 28, 1969 and lasted 11 days while releasing approx. 80,000 barrels of oil, before Horizon this was the greatest offshore accident in American waters. The cost to clean up was just north of 4.5 mil (1969) this would be valued today at $36.77 mil (only accounting for dollar inflation) Union oil paid $9.5 mil to Santa Barbara and the state of California ( 77.65 mil today). This spill would influence many to create Earth Day.