What are tar balls on Texas beaches, and when do they require cleanup? Here’s what to know

Beachgoers have noticed tar balls washing up onto the shores of Corpus Christi and Padre Island this spring and summer.

Personnel from the Texas General Land Office’s Oil Spill Division, which monitors ocean currents to determine the cause of tar balls, first saw them on May 27 while patrolling Cameron County, according to a spokesperson with the land office.

Since then, members of the public and the land office have reportedly found 15 tar balls — 10 in Cameron County, three in Nueces County and two in Matagorda County…

Story continues

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS