Report: Pipeline in Calif. spill operated below capacity
Source: USA Today
snip: About 4 miles of beach were inundated with oil, and the Coast Guard reported Wednesday that two slicks stretched over 9 miles.
snip: It's the second time in a year that a Plains pipeline has ruptured in California. Last May, a stretch of a 130-mile pipe spilled about 19,000 gallons of crude through the streets of Atwater Village in Los Angeles County, forcing nearby buildings to be evacuated.
The Santa Barbara Independent reported that in a settlement in 2010 with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Plains agreed to spend $41 million to upgrade 10,400 miles of pipeline nationwide and pay $3.2 million in civil penalties. snip:
Two hours later, a Plains employee "visually confirmed the release" from the pipe, which was built in 1987 and carried 50,400 gallons per hour, the company and the Unified Command said Wednesday. It's not known why the pipeline broke.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/21/santa-barbara-oil-spill-texas-pipeline-operator/27708249/
Terrible headline b/c this article is mostly about multiple violations by the company including the violation this year. But bad oil and gas actors are allowed to keep operating and there is no accountability if you're part of the BigOil greedmongering. Rachel reported tonight that 100,000 gal is confirmed but that's based on 50K gal./hr. and the company saying oil flowed for 2 hr. This comes after their first statement that it was 20K gal total. And who really knows how long the oil flowed for before someone turned the shutoff valve?
These things are always worse than the company says. My outrage-o-meter is going to boiling 
