California Oil Pipeline: Authorities Investigating Leak

A 4,000-foot section of a California oil pipeline that spewed more than 100,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean was displaced laterally about 105 feet and had a 13-inch split on the side of the pipe that was likely the source of the spill, authorities said Tuesday.Divers and footage from remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, confirmed Monday the split along a section of a 17.7-mile pipeline off the coast of Southern California, according to the Unified Command of agencies investigating the incident.The divers and ROVs also found no indications of continued oil release at the potential source of the leak, authorities said.The discovery explains the likely source of a spill, widely reported Saturday, of as much as 144,000 gallons of crude oil about five miles off the coast of Huntington Beach.The spill has shut down prized beaches, damaged the environment and presented possible health hazards for local residents.Authorities investigating the leak also sought to clarify the timeline of when authorities and the pipeline company learned about the spill and what they did in response.The Unified Command said the National Response Center first received a report of an unknown sheen of unknown source on Friday evening.”These types of reports are common and in many cases, the sheen reported can be natural seepage of oil or sheen that is never located,” the Unified Command said in a press release. “NOAA satellite imagery was reported to agencies early morning reporting a possible oil anomaly.”Crews from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response went to investigate before sunrise, but conditions were foggy and the crew returned to shore, authorities said.”The Coast Guard and Orange County Sheriff deployed at first light once fog lifted to investigate.A Coast Guard aircraft was diverted to support the investigation.