Firefighters investigating a reported petroleum stench at a California
beach last month didn't take long to find a spill — oil was spreading
across the sand and into the surf. Tracing the source, they found crude
gushing from a bluff like a fire hose "without a nozzle," records show.
But critical time would elapse before the operator of a nearby pipeline
confirmed that it had ruptured and spewed the oil. An employee at the
scene for Plains All American Pipeline initially suggested to
firefighters that the spill "was too big to be from their pipeline,"
according to the documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The description of what firefighters found May 19 at Refugio State Beach
was detailed in records Santa Barbara County firefighters filed with
state officials. It indicates that firefighters who arrived just before
noon quickly recognized that "some sort of leak or spill had occurred."
A Plains company spokeswoman would not comment Thursday on why it took
until later in the afternoon for its workers to confirm the line was
cracked and spilling thousands of gallons of oil onto the sand and water
west of Santa Barbara.
Plains is facing scrutiny from federal regulators and lawmakers over the
spill, which washed up goo on beaches as far as 100 miles away. The
failed pipeline released up to 101,000 gallons, and an estimated 21,000
gallons reached the water.
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee opened an investigation
Thursday and asked the company for detailed information on maintenance
of the line, including how it addressed corrosion. The panel also wants
the company to explain what it did in the hours leading up to the break
and how it reported the problem.
A key issue has been how long it took the Texas-based company to relay
information on the break to the federal government. Internal planning
documents stress the importance of notifying the government of a leak as
quickly as possible.
Federal regulations require the company to notify the National Response
Center, a clearinghouse for reports of hazardous-material releases, "at
the earliest practicable moment." State law requires immediate
notification of a release or a threatened release.
Company employees at the scene did not confirm a leak until about 1:30
p.m., and it would be nearly 3 p.m. before the company would contact the
response center. By then, the federal response led by the Coast Guard
was underway.
The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is
investigating the cause of the accident, and state prosecutors have been
considering potential charges against the company. The federal agency
released preliminary findings earlier this month that the break occurred
along a badly corroded section that had worn away to a fraction of an
inch in thickness.
At a state legislative hearing Friday in Santa Barbara, Mark S.
Ghilarducci, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services,
was asked if the company met state requirements for prompt notification.
"It doesn't appear that they ... did that," Ghilarducci said. "They did not meet that criteria."
State prosecutors have been considering potential charges against the company.