A short-term solution for bottling up the Gulf Coast oil spill is on the way.

On Wednesday afternoon, a barge will haul a 100-ton containment dome to the spill site 50 miles off shore. It is designed to siphon gushing oil into waiting barges on the surface. But such domes have never been tried at such depth -- about 5,000 feet down -- so it is unclear how well or if it will work.

Experts believe the well is spewing at least 200,000 gallons of oil a day in what could become the country's worst environmental crisis.

The spill has forced President Barack Obama to freeze his plan to expand offshore drilling.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., has reversed his position and now opposes plans to expand offshore drilling.

"I see it on TV," he said. "The birds drenched in oil, the fishermen out of work, the massive oil slick destroying our precious ecosystem - that will not happen here in California."

Republicans lawmakers said the California platforms are much safer than the ones in the Gulf. The California oil drilling project was expected to bring the state nearly $2 billion over 14 years.