Oil Spill Releases Thousands of Gallons of Crude in Ventura

Thousands of gallons of crude oil spilled from a pipeline in Ventura Thursday, though emergency crews were able to stop the flow from going underground or reaching the ocean, fire officials said Thursday.

The spill was first reported to the Ventura County Fire Department at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

The equivalent of about 700 barrels, or 29,400 gallons, were released in Hall Canyon at Grove Lane and flowed about a half-mile down an arroyo, according to Marisol Rodriguez, Ventura County Fire Department spokeswoman and firefighter.

Officials had earlier estimated up to 210,000 gallons had been released but revised the number down.

Rodriguez told KPCC the leak had been stopped but she could not say yet how that had been done. She said crews had begun cleanup operations.

Residents in the area had been alerted to the spill, but no evacuations were ordered and air quality was being monitored, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Mike Lindbery said earlier via Twitter.

The pipeline belonged to Crimson Pipeline L.P. and was carrying oil from Aera Energy, Rodriguez said.

Crimson Pipeline has taken responsibility for the spill, according to an incident report from the California Office of Emergency Services.

Crimson operates 615 miles of pipeline in California. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration data show that, since 2006, the company has had 10 incidents, at least nine of which resulted in oil leaks.

That includes a 2013 spill in Los Angeles of 510 barrels. All but 15 barrels of oil were recovered, but the spill caused $3.29 million in damage, according to the PHMSA data.

The company has had four incidents in Ventura County dating back to 2006.

The most recent came in December last year when 211 barrels spilled near Somis. In September, about 24 barrels spilled near Camarillo, according to the PHMSA data.

PHMSA data do not show any federal inspections of Crimson Pipeline between 2006 and 2016.

Officials planned to update the public on Thursday's spill at a noon press conference.

The spill comes after another last year that released about 140,000 gallons of oil near the Santa Barbara Coast, some of it reaching the ocean and forming a slick that spread across miles of the Southern California coastline.

Plains All American Pipeline LP was indicted for that spill, which was attributed to pipe corrosion.

This story has been updated.