Yahoo TV

California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed offshore drilling in a news conference on Tuesday, after a major oil spill in the state.

Roughly 3,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean, killing wildlife and soiling the coastline.

Officials say it appears to have leaked from a pipe about 105 feet from where it should have been.

That's sparked speculation that a ship's anchor may have caused an environmental disaster.

Newsom says it all illustrates the need to end oil drilling in California.

"It's time, once and for all, to disabuse ourselves that this has to be part of our future. This is part of our past. We can moralize and talk about the good old days. We can talk about how important these rigs have been to the prosperity of this country and the middle class. But at the end of the day, this is about the stale air of normalcy versus the fresh air of progress.

The revelation came as the U.S. Coast Guard and drilling company Amplify Energy Corp came under further scrutiny about the time it took to respond to the spill, amid reports that mariners first reported seeing oil in the water on Friday night, when official notification did not come until Saturday around midday.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said the entire pipeline should remain shut until ordered to be reopened.

Newsom said the accident underscored the risks of relying on fossil fuels in California already suffering from drought and wildfires, that experts link to human-caused climate change.