SANTA ANA, Calif.—A pipeline operator and two subsidiaries agreed Friday to plead guilty to negligently discharging oil off the Southern California coast in connection with a pipeline break that covered beaches with blobs of crude.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles said in a statement that Houston-based Amplify Energy and two subsidiaries agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $7 million fine and nearly $6 million in expenses incurred by government entities, including the U.S. Coast Guard. The companies would also install a new leak detection system for pipeline and train employees to identify and respond to potential leaks, the statement said.
