Galveston, TX, United States (AHN) – Tar balls from the BP (NYSE:BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico reached the Texas coast over the weekend. The sighting means that the spill has reached all five U.S. Gulf states.

Oil From BP (NYSE:BP) Spill Reaches Texas Coast

According to investigators, five gallons of tar balls were discovered near Galveston. Tests on the substances revealed it came from the Deepwater Horizon leak.

It remains unknown if the tar balls drifted in the currents or if they were deposited by ships that had been working in the cleanup zone.

The joint BP-U.S. government response team issued a statement saying, "The testing found that the oil was lightly weathered, raising doubts that the oil traversed the Gulf from the spill source.”

So not only is the state dealing with the possibility of encroaching plumes of oil severely affecting the coastline but oil from the spill is purposely invading Texas–slated for permanent disposal in underground salt domes and injection wells.

The state has numerous environmental services companies, refineries and oil salvagers, making it one of the states tasked with recycling or permanently disposing of the oily waste collected during the ongoing clean up efforts.

Since April 22, oil has been leaking from a blown-out sea floor well, deluging the Gulf with a torrent of oil that has cost the BP plc (NYSE:BP) over $3 billion in cleanup costs.