Report: Pipeline in Calif. spill operated below capacity

GOLETA, Calif. — The pipeline involved in this week's rupture along the Santa Barbara coast that spilled thousands of gallons of oil was operating well below maximum capacity, CNN is reporting.

The pipeline was carrying 1,300 barrels an hour, well below its maximum capacity of 2,000 barrels an hour, Rick McMichael of Plains All American Pipeline told the network.

The Texas-based pipeline has a history of federal safety and maintenance violations, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Officials have closed Refugio State Beach and nearby El Capital Beach through the Memorial Day weekend, when their campgrounds would normally be filled.

About 4 miles of beach were inundated with oil, and the Coast Guard reported Wednesday that two slicks stretched over 9 miles.

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County to help speed up the cleanup efforts.

"This emergency proclamation cuts red tape and helps the state quickly mobilize all available resources," Brown said in a statement Wednesday night. "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline."

Boats deployed booms to contain the oil and protect habitat of shore birds, including the snowy plover, and skimmers sucked up the surface oil. Cleanup crews worked along the shore to clear the black, gooey crude from the rocks and sand.

Plains All American Pipeline has estimated that in a "worst-case scenario," up to 105,000 gallons of oil spilled Tuesday from its ruptured onshore pipeline and that an estimated 21,000 gallons swept down a storm drain that empties into the Pacific.

The company said a control room operator noticed "abnormalities" and shut down the pipeline. Around the same time, Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to a report of a strong gasoline smell at Refugio State Beach and found oil pouring into the ocean.

Two hours later, a Plains employee "visually confirmed the release" from the pipe, which was built in 1987 and carried 50,400 gallons per hour, the company and the Unified Command said Wednesday. It's not known why the pipeline broke.

"Plains deeply regrets this release has occurred and is making every effort to limit its environmental impact," the company said in a statement. "Our focus remains on ensuring the safety of all involved."

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that an analysis of data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shows Plains' rate of incidents per mile of pipe is more than three times the national average. Only four companies from among more than 1,700 pipeline operators listed in a database maintained by the federal agency reported more infractions than Plains Pipeline.

The Times says infractions involved pump failure, equipment malfunction, pipeline corrosion and operator error, but no injuries. According to federal records, since 2006 the company's incidents caused more than $23 million in property damage and spilled more than 688,000 gallons of hazardous liquid, the newspaper reports.

It says a Plains Pipeline spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its regulatory record.

It's the second time in a year that a Plains pipeline has ruptured in California. Last May, a stretch of a 130-mile pipe spilled about 19,000 gallons of crude through the streets of Atwater Village in Los Angeles County, forcing nearby buildings to be evacuated.

The Santa Barbara Independent reported that in a settlement in 2010 with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Plains agreed to spend $41 million to upgrade 10,400 miles of pipeline nationwide and pay $3.2 million in civil penalties.

"Unfortunately with accidents and oil development, it is not a question of if, but of when," said Owen Bailey, executive director of the Environmental Defense Center. "But to see this level of spill into such a sensitive and treasured environment is devastating."

The extent of the damage from the latest spill is not clear. Initial reports of harm to marine life included some oil-soaked birds and one dead octopus. The coastal area is habitat for seals, sea lions and whales, which are migrating north.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Doreen Farr called the " beautiful and pristine" stretch of coastline "unique to the world."

"This is more than an inconvenience," she said. "This is just a disaster. We are taking it very seriously."

Built in 1987 and installed in 1991, the pipeline transfers oil from ExxonMobil's Las Flores Canyon Processing Facility to a pumping station in Gaviota owned by Plains. The oil then flows east to refineries in Kern County.

The pipeline underwent a "major internal inspection" in 2012 and again "a few weeks ago," though the latest results are not available, Plains said Wednesday. No problems were reported.

Kevin Drude, head of the county's energy division, told the Santa Barbara Independent he was puzzled why the pipeline did not shut down automatically. He said its sensor system can "pick up pinhole leaks."