California oil spill cleanup: Governor declares emergency to cut 'red tape'....

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency to help clean up an oil pipeline spill that may have dumped more than 100,000 gallons of crude in Southern California.

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

A ruptured 24-inch pipeline gets the blame for leaking oil near Refugio State Beach, a protected state park about 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, just before Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer tourist season.

Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline estimates up to 105,000 gallons may have spilled, based on the typical flow rate of oil and the elevation of the pipeline.

The pipeline is located underground, so it will take a few days to determine how much crude oil was actually spilled, said Rick McMichael, the company's director of pipeline operations.

McMichael told reporters an estimated 21,000 gallons of crude had gone into the Pacific Ocean. The rest was spilled on land. For more, goto cnn.