Pipeline firm gets $3.3-million fine for worst California oil spill in 25 years

[G_j]

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pipeline-spill-refugio-beach-fine-20190425-story.html

A pipeline company was fined nearly $3.35 million Thursday for causing the worst California coastal spill in 25 years.

A judge issued a fine and penalties against Plains All American Pipeline for a 2015 spill that sent 140,000 gallons of crude oil gushing onto Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County. The spill from a corroded pipeline blackened popular beaches for miles, killed wildlife, and hurt tourism and fishing.

Federal inspectors found that Plains had made several preventable errors, failed to quickly detect the pipeline rupture and responded too slowly as oil flowed toward the ocean.

Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles away had turned off an alarm that would have signaled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the hemorrhaging line after it had shut down, which only made matters worse, inspectors found.

..more..

[GReedDiamond]

1. $3.3 million? That's a drop in the oil barrel...

...I hope "Plains All American Pipeline" also received a strongly worded letter.

[kimbutgar]

2. Our local paper in SanFrancisco just had an article that fat Donnie's administration has approved

Federally owned areas in California for more drilling and fracking,

I think bigger fines might make these companies not want to drill. But I know California will be fighting against the administration and between protests, lawsuits etc well be able to starve it off until he is out of office.

[elfin]

3. Chump Change. Fines have to really mean something

Every day a new example of people and companies skating with modest fines compared to what it would take to really hurt.

Now Congress is faced with what is an appropriate punishment for those heeding Trump instead of subpoenas from Congress. Thought I heard this morning that they can't imprison them, but they can fine them for each and every day they refuse to testify.

Those fines must be significant.

[bluestarone]

4. Should have been BILLIONS

instead of millions! These fuckers get off scott free ALL THE FUCKING TIME

[Hekate]

5. Pocket change to these bastards. Just a line-item in the overall budget.

And self-regulation at its finest.

[shanny]

6. between-the-cushions pocket change eom