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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThe oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach polluted state\u00a0waterways, shut down local beaches, and wreaked havoc on our\u00a0fish and wildlife,\u201d\u00a0said Attorney General Bonta.\u00a0<\/b>\u201cWhile the exact cost of the spill is still unknown, today’s announcement\u00a0marks an important step toward\u00a0accountability. Amplify will face six criminal charges and pay the state and county nearly $5 million in penalties and fines for their misconduct. Most importantly, Amplify will be required to\u00a0implement new employee training and technology to prevent future spills. I want to thank all our local, state, and federal partners for their\u00a0assistance in\u00a0this investigation and for\u00a0their ongoing efforts to clean up this environmental\u00a0disaster. In\u00a0times of crisis, it takes all of us \u2013\u00a0working together \u2013\u00a0to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis plea and its probationary terms will enable us to best protect the health and safety of the people of Orange County and our environment by changing the way Amplify conducts its business practices so it will be safer and a more conscientious steward of our precious natural resources,\u201d\u00a0said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer<\/b>. \u201cThe $4.9 million in criminal fines represents one of the largest criminal fines in Orange County\u2019s history and serves to bring Amplify to justice for its actions that had such a devastating impact to our beautiful coastline and business activities. My prosecutors are not going to stand idly by when companies fail to take the necessary steps to protect our environment while trying to make a profit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur law enforcement personnel and the Office of Spill Prevention and Response led the response to this incident on behalf of State of California, and also conducted a separate investigation into potential crimes against our state\u2019s natural resources,\u201d\u00a0said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Deputy Director and Chief of Enforcement David Bess<\/b>. \u201cWe consider this plea to be justice served for the unacceptable oil spill that impacted seabirds, mammals and other wildlife along our state\u2019s pristine coastline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amplify\u2019s San Pedro Bay pipeline runs from Platform Elly, located\u00a0approximately eight miles off the coast of Orange County, to onshore processing tanks in Long Beach. On October 1, 2021, the San Pedro Bay\u00a0pipeline ruptured\u00a0and began leaking oil being pumped by Amplify from Platform Elly.\u00a0Months before, in January of 2021,\u00a0high winds pushed two ships away from their anchoring spots, causing\u00a0the ships\u2019 anchors\u00a0to\u00a0drag\u00a0across the seafloor until eventually catching on the pipeline. The pipeline was displaced about 100 feet, bending, bowing, and eventually cracking its cement casing.<\/p>\n
Amplify\u2019s leak detection system first indicated a potential leak on the pipeline at approximately 4:10 p.m. on October 1. Amplify then shut down and restarted the pipeline seven\u00a0additional\u00a0times. Each time, the leak detection system alerted Amplify to a potential leak. Yet no reports of a leak or potential leak were made for over 16 hours. By the time Amplify first reported the leaks around 8:30 a.m. on October 2, Amplify had already alerted and mobilized personnel, and was attempting to locate a visual observation of a leak and run the manual leak detection on the pipeline.<\/p>\n
Approximately 25,000 gallons of petroleum were discharged before the spill was contained, shutting down local beaches and requiring a coordinated incident response from local, state, and federal agencies. 116 live and dead birds were recovered by wildlife operations. Fourteen birds were rehabilitated and released, including seven protected snowy plovers. The full economic impact of the oil spill to surrounding shoreline and businesses is still unknown.<\/p>\n
As part of the proposed agreement,\u00a0Amplify will\u00a0plead no contest to the criminal charges of failing to immediately report a discharge of oil into waters of the state, water pollution, and killing of protected wildlife.\u00a0Amplify will pay approximately\u00a0$3.45 million\u00a0to the state\u00a0and $1.45 million to the\u00a0county in penalties and fines. This\u00a0is\u00a0in addition to the $956,352 Amplify previously\u00a0agreed to pay the county for clean-up costs. Amplify will also be placed on probation for 12 months.\u00a0The terms of the probation include:<\/p>\n
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- Amplify\u00a0must train and instruct employees to immediately notify and update all appropriate agencies of potential spills\u00a0in compliance with California laws;<\/li>\n
- Amplify must\u00a0install\u00a0an improved\u00a0leak detection system\u00a0on its pipeline\u00a0that\u00a0utilizes the most advanced technology to provide the\u00a0best possible protection against leaks; and<\/li>\n
- Amplify\u00a0must conduct additional\u00a0operational\u00a0safety measures, including biannual visual inspections of the pipeline.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Attorney General Bonta and District Attorney Spitzer are committed to protecting California\u2019s people, environment, and natural resources. Last year, the Attorney General\u00a0announced the sentencing of SFPP<\/a>, operating as Kinder Morgan, for discharging over 63,000 gallons of gasoline from a cracked pipeline into a waterway that ultimately flowed to the Walnut Creek Canal in November 2020.<\/p>\n