Guilty verdict in 2015 oil spill that brought tar balls to South Bay
Oil from a spill at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara made its way to Hermosa and other South Bay beaches in 2015. Photo
Plains All American Pipeline, the company behind the 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara County that washed down the coast and eventually forced a temporary closure of South Bay Beaches, was found guilty on several counts last week following a four-month jury trial.
The company was found guilty of failing to maintain Pipeline 901, whose malfunction caused the oil spill, a felony, as well as eight misdemeanors, including delay in contacting emergency responders and causing the death of marine wildlife, according to a statement from the California Attorney General’s Office.
“Engaging in this kind of reckless conduct is not just irresponsible — it’s criminal. Today’s verdict should send a message: if you endanger our environment and wildlife, we will hold you accountable,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
In a statement, Plains pointed out that the jury did not find any willful misconduct by the company, and highlighted its involvement in the clean-up.
“Plains continues to accept full responsibility for the impact of the accident. We are committed to doing the right thing. The verdict reflected no knowing wrongdoing by Plains or our employees with respect to the operation of Line 901, and the testimony established our comprehensive cleanup effort. Numerous witnesses testified that Plains did everything possible to return areas impacted by the 2015 oil release to conditions as good as or better than before the release,” the statement said.
The spill occurred on May 19, 2015, when a Plains pipeline near Refugio State Beach ruptured, causing about 140,000 gallons of oil to dump into the Pacific, according to an indictment issued in 2016. Approximately a week later, beachgoers in El Porto began spying tar clumped together and in greater concentrations than is typically found. County lifeguards closed beaches from the El Segundo Jetty to Longfellow Avenue in Hermosa Beach and later extended the closure all the way to Torrance Beach when the tar persisted.
The spill’s high profile caused some residents to assume that the appearance of the “tar balls” was linked to the Refugio spill. Scientists initially said the spill, located more than 100 miles away, was probably not responsible. But testing done by scientists hired by Plains All American confirmed that at least some of the tar samples were linked to oil from the Refugio Spill.
Local beaches reopened, but residents, elected officials, and environmental groups were outraged. Robert Cole submitted a claim of $2,100 over damage done to a sail on his boat “Priorities” by floating tar balls in King Harbor, which Plains later agreed to pay. Manhattan Beach later hosted a state Senate hearing, at which Sen. Ben Allen, who represents the South Bay, called the incident California’s “worst oil spill in 25 years.”