Operator in California oil spill didn't shut down for hours after leak alert, regulators say
Operators of a Southern California oil pipeline that leaked 144,000 gallons of heavy crude into the Pacific Ocean didn't shut it down for more than three hours after an alarm alerted them to the possible breach, federal regulators said.
A corrective action order issued by federal pipeline and hazardous materials regulators to a subsidiary of Amplify Energy Corp. on Monday includes a timeline that states the subsidiary, Beta Offshore, was alerted to a "low-pressure alarm" that indicated "a possible failure" at 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
More than three hours later, the pipeline was shut down, and after another three hours, Beta Offshore reported the leak to the federal National Response Center, according to the timeline.
Amplify did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/operator-california-oil-spill-didn-t-shut-down-pipeline-hours-n1280874