A federal judge approved a $230 million settlement in a lawsuit concerning the 2015 Santa Barbara oil spill.
Lawyers announced that the owners of the All American Pipeline and Plains Pipeline are being ordered to pay the considerable sum to people involved in the class action lawsuit, who have until Oct. 31 to claim their money, according to the Associated Press. An estimated 142,800 gallons of oil were spilled when a corroded undersea pipeline ruptured at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara. Although federal inspectors blame the companies for failing to adhere to security protocol and found fault in their slow reaction, the settlement did not find them liable for the damage.
NONPROFIT USES HAIR TO SOAK UP OIL SPILLS
“Due to failed maintenance and extensive pipeline corrosion, the pipeline ruptured and spilled, devastating the fishing industry and soiling coastal properties from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles County,” a press statement from the law firms that filed the suit said, according to the Associated Press.
Aside from the extensive wildlife damage, the spill decimated the local tourist industry, blackening popular beaches and leaving an ugly sight in its wake, claimants said. Plains Pipeline had previously agreed with the federal government two years prior to pay for the cleanup in addition to $60 million and bringing the rest of its pipelines under federal safety standards.
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The 2015 spill was California’s worst since the 1969 Union Oil spill, when safety shortcuts from Union Oil resulted in the leaking of 3 million gallons over an area of 35 miles, according to the Smithsonian magazine. The outcry over the event led to increased public action against pollution and helped inspire the first Earth Day in 1970.
