Almost exactly a year to the day that an oil line burst in Refugio State Park, the company responsible and one of its employees has been indicted on criminal charges, announced California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley on May 17.
Oil from the spill drifted down to the South Bay, where it began washing up on May 27, 2015.
“Crimes against our environment must be met with swift action and accountability,” said the attorney general in a press release. “The carelessness of Plains All-American harmed hundreds of species and marine life off Refugio Beach. This conduct is criminal and today’s charges serve as a powerful reminder of the consequences that flow from jeopardizing the well-being of our ecosystems and public health.”
The company immediately sent out a press release disputing the charges.
“Plains is deeply disappointed by the decision of the California Attorney General and Santa Barbara District Attorney to pursue criminal charges against Plains and one of its employees in connection with the 2015 accident,” it said. “Plains believes that neither the company nor any of its employees engaged in any criminal behavior at any time in connection with this accident, and that criminal charges are unwarranted. We will vigorously defend ourselves against these charges and are confident we will demonstrate that the charges have no merit and represent an inappropriate attempt to criminalize an unfortunate accident.”
The company was indicted by a grand jury on 46 criminal charges, including four felony violations of spilling oil and hazardous substances into state water, according to the attorney general’s office. Employee James Buchanan was indicted on three criminal charges. The attorney general’s office said the company could face up to $2.8 million in fines. ER
