Workers with Patriot Environmental Services clean up during an oil spill at the Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. A 3,000-barrel oil spill off the coast of California has washed up on the beaches of Orange County and threatens to contaminate nearby wetlands. By Robert Tuttle
Oct 5, 2021, 10:07 PM
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Following a low-pressure alarm around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2 from its San Pedro Bay Pipeline, Amplify’s Beta Offshore unit didn’t shut the pipeline down until 6:01 a.m., U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in corrective action order Tuesday.
The company didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.
The Golden State’s largest oil leak since a 1994 earthquake split open a pipeline spilled as much as 3,000 barrels along the California coast, according to Amplify’s estimates. The oil has has drifted southward, forced the closure of popular surfing beaches and sullied wetlands.
Also See: Oil-Fouled California Beaches Rekindle Demands for Offshore Ban
After shutting the pipeline, Beta didn’t report the incident to the National Response Center for another three hours, according to the report. Initial estimates indicated that the pipeline released about 700 barrels, much less than the company’s number.
The root cause of the accident remains unconfirmed but “preliminary reports indicate that the failure may have been caused by an anchor that hooked the pipeline, causing a partial tear,” according to to the order.
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