Bill would hold pipeline regulators responsible for safety oversight
Story updated at 2 p.m. on June 15: U.S. Rep. Lois Capps’ office proposed a bill that strives to hold federal regulators responsible for inadequate pipeline safety oversight, the office announced June 14. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Accountability Act is a provision of the Pipes Act, which recently passed the House and the Read More →
Plains’ request to seal oil spill transcripts opposed
Prosecutors have filed opposing motions to Plains All American Pipeline’s request to seal the transcripts of its indictment from the Refugio oil spill. The motion claims that Plains did not give the public sufficient time — at least 10 days before the June 2 hearing date — for the public to process the request. Grand Read More →
Lois Capps’ Pipeline Safety Act passes House
The Pipeline Safety Act, a bill that aims to improve federal oil and gas pipeline safety regulation, passed the House, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps’ office announced on June 8. Capps, D-Santa Barbara, authored the bill after last year’s Refugio oil spill, the consequences of which are still playing out throughout the Tri-Counties. This bill aims Read More →
Arraignment on Plains oil spill criminal charges continued
The arraignment of Plains All American Pipeline and its employee involving criminal charges stemming from last year’s Refugio oil spill was continued until June 30. Following the arraignment on the morning of June 2, the first 11 pages of the California grand jury indictment were made public. It included four felony charges and 42 misdemeanors. Read More →
Refugio oil spill effects linger a year later
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Charges, lawsuits Plains’ Refugio oil spill legacy
One year later, the Refugio oil spill remains in the headlines amid rising costs and the first of what could be a series of criminal misconduct charges. Plains All American now faces a 46-count indictment at the state level for a May 2015 incident that spilled 21,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean. The Read More →
Dubroff: Plains prosecution either carefully crafted or grandstanding
There are two ways to look at the May 17 announcement that Plains All American Pipeline will face criminal charges over last year’s Refugio oil spill. During a press conference that made national news, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley said that a California grand jury had indicted Read More →
