Companies agree to pay $1.6 million for 2016 Ventura oil spill
VENTURA, Calif. - The two companies responsible for a June 2016 crude oil spill in Ventura will pay a combined $1.6 million settlement.
More than 44,000 gallons of crude oil spilled in Hall Canyon, Ventura damaging natural resources and causing a major cleanup effort.
Crimson Pipeline, L.P. and its contractor CD Lyon are being held responsible for the spill by state and local agencies. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office says the spill occurred following a valve replacement operation and new valve flanges were not properly tightened by Crimson's contractor, CD Lyon.
Crimson has agreed to pay $1,307,700 in civil penalties, costs, and natural resources damages. Additionally, CD Lyon has agreed to pay civil penalties and a portion of the outstanding costs totaling $300,000. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office will receive the money.
“With this settlement, Crimson and their contractor will pay a significant penalty, improve its oil spill preparedness and response operations, and compensate the public for natural resource damages,” said Thomas Cullen, administrator of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response. “The public should know that when an oil spill happens in California, we will hold those responsible accountable and require a thorough and rapid cleanup and restoration.”
When the spill happened on June 23, 2016 crude oil was released into a small canyon with vegetation running through a residential neighborhood.
The oil was discovered by local residents who quickly reported it to the authorities and Crimson. A quick response kept the crude oil from reaching the ocean, but the cleanup would take months. Some local residents were forced to leave their homes because of the strong smell of petroleum in the area after the spill occurred.
