Santa Barbara County Oil Spill May Have Been Larger Than Projected
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An oil spill from a ruptured pipeline near Santa Barbara that fouled beaches for miles may have been far larger in volume than earlier projected.
Plains All American Pipeline had estimated the May 19 spill at up to 101,000 gallons.
But in documents released Wednesday, the Texas-based company said alternate calculations found the spill might have been up to 143,000 gallons.
The company is continuing its analysis and the figures are preliminary.
The company has been criticized for taking about 90 minutes to alert federal responders after confirming the spill west of Santa Barbara that spread goo on beaches as far as 100 miles away.
(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)