- Three companies have been accused of illegally discharging about 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast in October, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
- The oil spread several miles off the coast of Huntington Beach, shut down businesses and beaches, and presented health hazards to residents and the environment.
- The US Coast Guard, US Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency, and the FBI are continuing to investigate the oil spill.
Federal prosecutors revealed Wednesday that three firms have been charged for unlawfully releasing nearly 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California in October as reported by CNN.
Leak alarms
According to the indictment filed in federal court in Los Angeles, oil company Amplify Energy and its subsidiaries Beta Operating Company and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company “acted negligently in at least six ways,” including failing to properly respond to eight separate leak alarms over a period of more than 13 hours.
The firms allegedly failed to properly restart the pipeline after it had been shut down due to leak alarms, according to the indictment.
Damaged pipeline
For allegedly continuing to operate the damaged 16-inch pipeline on and off until the morning after the spill began on October 1, the firms face one misdemeanour accusation of negligent discharge of oil. The oil spilled many miles off Huntington Beach’s coast, shutting down businesses and beaches and posing health risks to inhabitants and the environment.
Amplify Energy published a statement after the charges were announced, calling their response to the leak “appropriate” and “quick.”
“Amplify Energy and its staff are dedicated to conducting business in a safe manner that protects our people, the environment, and the communities in which we operate,” the firm said in a statement.
“That is the operating promise we seek to uphold, and our workers’ quick actions and reasonable care in responding to the events of October 1 and 2 reflect that dedication.”
Oil spills
Negligently discharging oil carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years of probation for corporate defendants, as well as fines that could total millions of dollars, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The pipeline was intact in October 2020 before it was deflected or deviated by 105 feet, eventually leading to damage to its casing and a 13-inch crack, Jason Neubauer, chief of the office of investigations and analysis for the US Coast Guard, said in October.
Neubauer explained the linear fracture on the pipeline could have been a crack, which got gradually worse over time.
“This event could be multiple incidents and strikes on the pipeline after the initial event, that we’re pretty confident occurred several months to a year ago,” Neubauer said.
The US Coast Guard, US Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency, and the FBI are continuing to investigate the oil spill.
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Source: CNN
