Company responsible for O.C. oil spill gets permission to repair pipeline
by The Associated Press
Thursday, September 16th, 2012 at 7:25PM
SANDY, Utah – As the operator of the pipeline through which thousands of gallons of oil leaked in California last year, TransSanta Maria Company got a rare piece of good news Thursday: a permit to repair the ruptured pipe at its property.
The company must seek approval for the repairs from U.S. Pipeline. A U.S. Pipeline spokesman said the company would respond later in the day.
TransSanta Maria, a subsidiary of Santa Maria Natural Gas, said the permit was granted the day before, but could not provide details. The company issued a press release Thursday announcing it had received permission to begin repairs.
The spill was the worst in recent memory in California’s Monterey Bay watershed. Residents described floating oil on a surface of the bay and the smell of oil drifting from the shore. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said up to 8,000 gallons of oil have been found off the Santa Barbara coast, about 12 miles southeast of Santa Maria.
The pipeline is part of the same 1,400-mile system that transports oil and gas from eastern Monterey County to several refineries, and the company says it will continue to operate its system.
“It is a routine safety issue that we have with the pipeline that travels through the Santa Maria area,” Steve Zisk, TransSanta Maria general manager said at a news conference Thursday. “It really isn’t a major concern as far as oil being spilled or ruptured. There has been one incident in the past where the pipeline was ruptured, but that time, a truck driver was killed. We don’t have anything that is too serious for us right now.”
The pipe is about 70 feet long and was damaged by an accident in June, TransSanta Maria spokesman Scott Rolfe said. The company estimates it will take four days to repair the pipeline.
“We don’t anticipate a shut-down of the pipeline at this time, but it is a routine safety issue we have with the pipeline that goes through the Santa Maria area. It really isn’t a major concern as far as oil being spilled or rupt
