Company responsible for O.C. oil spill gets permission to repair pipeline
The company responsible for the massive oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel last year has received permission to repair an oil pipeline that has become clogged with debris.
Cal Fire officials say the approval comes with conditions. The state Department of Water Resources will repair the pipeline at a cost of $30,000. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District will repair the pipeline at a cost of $1,000.
Cal Fire has already repaired the pipeline.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will repair the pipeline at a cost of $1,000.
This is the first pipeline that has received the state permit to be worked on.
The Santa Barbara Channel Oil Spill
The massive oil spill which occurred in Santa Barbara last December, has been called one of the worst environmental disasters in America’s history.
It was discovered in the Santa Barbara Channel that connects the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles Bay. The slick of crude oil spread throughout a 10-mile stretch of ocean.
At the time, the oil was estimated to be carrying an estimated 40,000 barrels of oil into the ocean. It was also estimated to be contaminating marine life, including the endangered leatherback sea turtles.
In a release, the U.S. Coast Guard said that the oil spill resulted in “extensive damage to shoreline habitats, including beaches, shorelines, shoreline riparian areas, and shoreline estuaries.”
“We’re grateful to our partner agencies, and to the incredible work of the thousands of people who came together to help address this issue. As a result, the cleanup of this oil spill is now considered complete” said U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen.
The oil in question was an 80-million-gallon storage tank at the Chevron Oil Refinery.
Chevron paid over $17 billion dollars to settle a number of lawsuits for damage done to marine life, and to the fishing industry.
The Oil Spill
The oil spill has been described as both an ecological disaster and a financial catastrophe.
The $1 billion spill has resulted in 11