Oil From Santa Barbara Spill Spread To Redondo Beach
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Oil from a Santa Barbara ruptured pipeline spread more than 100 miles to several Southland beaches, according to a report released Friday.
Plains All American Pipeline, which owns the pipeline that ruptured May 19, said the oil from its pipeline was found as far south as Redondo Beach.
The company and state officials said earlier in the week that oil from the spill had reached Manhattan Beach, two miles north of Redondo.
However, Plains researchers now say lab results from tar balls collected at Manhattan Beach on May 27 showed that a mix of oil from the Line 901 spill and "natural seeps" contributed to tar balls along the beach.
According to a spokesperson for Plains All American Pipeline, samples taken in the South Bay showed oil and tar balls found in those areas were "from other sources," also including "natural seeps."
None of the samples tested in those areas matched oil released from Line 901, the spokesperson said.
(Editor's note: A previous version of this article indicated that tar ball samples from San Clemente did match oil from Line 901. That statement was inaccurate and CBSLA regrets the error.)
Federal regulators and prosecutors are investigating the spill of up to 101,000 gallons of crude oil along the scenic shore.
The reports confirm suspicions that the pipe was the source of tar that washed ashore in Los Angeles about a week after the spill.
Authorities on Friday reopened El Capitan State Beach, one of the beaches that had been initially closed due to the spill.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)