Firm restarting oil pipeline involved in California spill

Apr 11, 2023, 9:32 AM

FILE - This still image from video taken Oct. 4, 2021, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows a...

FILE - This still image from video taken Oct. 4, 2021, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows an underwater pipeline that spilled tens of thousands of gallons of oil off the coast of Orange County, Calif. An offshore pipeline involved in a 2021 oil spill that fouled Southern California beaches is being put back in service, the operator said. Amplify Energy Corp. said Monday, April 10, 2023, that it received approval from federal regulatory agencies to restart operations and last weekend began the process of filling the pipeline, which is expected to take about two weeks. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An offshore pipeline involved in a 2021 oil spill that fouled Southern California beaches is being put back in service, the operator said.

Amplify Energy Corp. said Monday that it received approval from federal regulatory agencies to restart operations and last weekend began the process of filling the pipeline, which is expected to take about two weeks.

“Following the line fill process, the pipeline will be operated in accordance with the restart procedures that were reviewed and approved by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,” the Houston-based company said in a press release.

The pipeline carries oil to shore from platforms in San Pedro Bay, near the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors.

Amplify Energy recently announced a settlement with companies associated with two ships it accused of dragging anchors and striking the pipeline during a January 2021 storm, leading to the spill of 25,000 gallons (94,600 liters) of crude oil months later.

“The approval from federal regulatory agencies and the receipt of $85 million in net proceeds from the vessels that struck and damaged our pipeline substantially concludes a very challenging last 18 months for the Company,” Amplify said.

While less severe than initially feared, the oil spill created a miles-wide sheen in the ocean and sent blobs of crude ashore, primarily impacting the cities of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. It further shuttered beaches for a week and fisheries for more than a month, oiled birds and threatened area wetlands.

Southern California fishermen, tourism companies and property owners sued Amplify and the shipping vessels seeking compensation for their losses. Amplify agreed to pay $45 million to settle those lawsuits.

Amplify also reached a plea deal with federal authorities for negligently discharging crude.

United States News

Associated Press

UN investigators compiling evidence on chemical weapons use by Islamic State extremists in Iraq

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. investigators are compiling evidence on the development and use of chemical weapons by Islamic State extremists in Iraq after they seized about a third of the country in 2014, and are advancing work on the militant group’s gender-based violence and crimes against children, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Christians and Yazidis, […]

15 hours ago

People gather during a rally Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City....

Associated Press

Utah Republicans defend book removal law while protesting district that banned Bible

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican lawmakers rallied with more than one hundred Bible-toting parents and children at Utah’s Capitol on Wednesday to protest a suburban school district’s decision to remove the Bible from middle and elementary school libraries in the wake of a GOP-backed “sensitive materials” law passed two years ago. Concerned parents and […]

15 hours ago

Wendy Weiser, Director for Democracy Program in the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law...

Associated Press

House GOP seeks tighter voting rules in DC, which Democrats warn is model for national restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Wednesday made a pitch to overhaul how elections are run in the District of Columbia, employing a conservative playbook to tighten voting rules that has been used in Georgia, Texas and other GOP-controlled states. Democrats characterized the effort as an abuse of the authority Congress has over the District […]

15 hours ago

FILE - Republican Scott Fitzpatrick speaks to reporters after being sworn in as Missouri's new stat...

Associated Press

Judge weighs Missouri GOP dispute over estimated cost of allowing abortions

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two top Republican state officials argued Wednesday over how much it would cost Missouri to restore the right to abortion, with the state attorney general insisting that the figure should account for lost revenue that wouldn’t be collected from people who otherwise would be born. The issue came up during […]

15 hours ago

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif. speaks to reporters outside his office on Capitol Hill in Wa...

Associated Press

GOP conservatives shutter House to protest McCarthy-Biden debt deal, setting up next budget brawl

WASHINGTON (AP) — In fallout from the debt ceiling deal, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly confronting a new threat to his power as angry hard-right conservatives bring the House chamber to a halt, reviving their displeasure over the compromise struck with President Joe Biden and demanding deeper spending cuts ahead. Barely a dozen Republicans, mainly […]

15 hours ago

Former Florida State football player Travis Rudolph reacts after a jury acquitted him of all charge...

Associated Press

Ex-Florida State football player acquitted in fatal shooting

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida jury agreed Wednesday that a former Florida State football player acted in self-defense when he fatally shot one man and injured another several hours after he scuffled with his girlfriend. Travis Rudolph, 27, was found not guilty of one count of first-degree murder and three counts […]

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Firm restarting oil pipeline involved in California spill