An oil pipeline company and an employee have been indicted on a total of 46 counts for a May 2015 crude oil spill near Santa Barbara.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., said the oil spill made up 10 counts in the indictment, while the other 36 related to wildlife damaged as a result of the accident.
An onshore pipe, operated by Texas-based Plains, ruptured at Refugio State Beach on May 19, 2015. The break flooded the area with 100,000 gallons of crude oil; 21,000 gallons of which ended up in the ocean. More than a 9-mile slick coated birds, killed sea life, and blackened pristine beaches.
After the incident, it was revealed that Plains has the fifth-worst safety and maintenance record out of the 1,700-plus U.S. operators. The burst occurred on a line that was 28 years old.
