Fox News | Southern California beaches tested for tar balls after oil spill Fox News Tar ball samples were taken Thursday and Friday from Gaviota to Newport Beach, about 170 miles away, for a better reference point of where oil is washing up and to improve reporting, according to a press release from officials overseeing the cleanup. How Bad Was The California Oil Spill? Tar Balls Collected To Track Impact From ... Santa Barbara oil spill: Beaches still tested for tar balls Refugio State Beach to Reopen After Oil Spill |