Michael Martinez, Paul Vercammen and Ed Payne/CNN
Plains All American Pipeline spilled over 100,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, 30 miles north of Santa Barbara this week. What caused the oil spill remains unknown.
Oil covers rocks on the beach near Refugio State Beach on May 20, 2015 north of Goleta, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Plains All American Pipeline is among the worst violators listed by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration and has had 175 federal safety and maintence violations since 2006. About 21,000 gallons spilled from an abandoned pipeline on the land near Refugio State Beach, spreading over about four miles of beach within hours.
That equates to roughly16,000 barrels in spills that have resulted in $23 million worth of property damage.
California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency to release funds to assist in the cleanup. Officials say it could take months before cleanup will be complete.
To read more, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/us/california-oil-spill/
