Watch: Texas investigating origins of tar balls on state's beaches
July 19 (UPI) -- Texas officials said they are investigating the origins of tar balls that have been washing up in recent days on the state's coast.
The Texas General Land Office said its oil spill response teams are probing the origins of the tar balls, which result when spots of oil are swept away in Gulf of Mexico currents and end up baked in the sun until they become asphalt-like balls.
The balls can vary in size from under an inch to several feet across. The ones that wash up on beaches are typically coin-sized.
Galveston Island Beach Patrol Lt. Austin Kirwin said tar balls are a part of life on Texas beaches, but they have become far more common in recent days.
The land office said teams are collecting samples to try to determine whether the oil came from one of the 600 known oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico.
Officials said the tar balls should not pose a danger to the public and can be washed off the skin with soap and water or baby oil.
