Oil Company Mum On Spill’s Possible Cause
The portion of pipeline at the center of the second-largest oil spill in Santa Barbara County history was recovered and cut in two Thursday.
Patrick Hodgins of Plains All-American Pipeline said the affected 40-foot section welded to other portions of pipe was removed along with an extra 5 feet on each side of the two joints Thursday morning. It was cut into two 25-foot pieces to make it fit into a truck that is taking it to a third party for examination.
Despite seeing the pipeline that spilled more than 100,000 gallons of oil, the oil company chose not to release any photos or video and Hodgins declined to speculate on the cause of the rupture.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation is handling the investigation. No one from PHMSA appeared at the daily briefing. The administration’s West Coast office said the public information officer was on the East Coast and could not be reached in time to comment for this report.
Meanwhile beach-goers an hour’s drive south to Silverstrand near the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard are noticing long strings of tar. Bob Crane, an off-duty Ventura Harbor Patrol officer who runs on the beach everyday, videoed a long line of tar along the shoreline as well as a dead oil-covered bird.
NOAA’s scientific research coordinator said samples must be taken to compare with the oil found on other beaches close to the spill. But, he said scientific journals have recored spilled oil reaching other counties.
