Gov. Jerry Brown signs oil pipeline safety bills
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Oct. 8 that requires the California Fire Marshal to review oil pipeline conditions every year, rather than every two years or more. Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline performed an inspection of its Line 901 about two weeks before May 19’s Refugio oil spill. But it was too Read More →
Feds propose tougher oil pipeline safety rules
The federal body governing pipeline safety has proposed new regulations that would change how oil and gas pipelines are operated, inspected and maintained. The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration came out with a draft of new rules on Oct. 1 in response to an oil spill in 2010 that leaked Read More →
3 months after oil spill, Santa Barbara region recovering
Even though Plains All American Pipeline underestimated the extent of the Refugio oil spill, Santa Barbara businesses and residents are feeling less of a sting than expected since the rupture fouled the Gaviota coastline and its wildlife about three months ago. Plains, the Houston-based oil company responsible for the spill, said in a quarterly Read More →
Refugio oil spill shows companies haven’t learned lesson after 46 years
Why does our collective memory seem so short? The gorgeous coast where we live and work was despoiled by a massive oil spill 46 years ago and we vowed never to let it happen again. That was in 1969, when a Union Oil Co. platform six miles off the Santa Barbara County coast suffered a Read More →
No alternative to Plains pipeline monopoly
Despite controversy and allegations of lax oversight and maintenance of the Plains All American pipeline that ruptured and tainted the Gaviota coastline, experts say the oil pipeline is here to stay. Like it or not, research shows that pipelines are still the safest and most environmentally friendly way to transport oil. A 2013 report on Read More →
Plains has spent more than $60 million on Refugio oil spill cleanup
Plains All American Pipeline, the company responsible for spilling thousands of gallons of crude oil on the Gaviota Coast, said Friday it has spent more than $60 million on clean up efforts to date. There is no timeline on how long it will take to call the response complete, but the most recent update from Read More →
