Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

46 Criminal Indictments Handed Down In Connection With 2015 Santa Barbara County Oil Spill

2015 Refugio State Beach oil spill caused by pipeline rupture

A Santa Barbara County Grand Jury has indicted an oil pipeline company, and one of its employees on criminal charges for the May, 2015 Refugio State Beach oil pipeline rupture, and spill.

Santa Barbara County, and State prosecutors say they began investigating whether crimes occurred just 72 hours after the 140,000 gallon oil spill, and met with a Grand Jury 14 times to present evidence. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley says the Grand Jury issued 46 criminal indictments, including four felony counts. At a news conference in Santa Barbara, prosecutors wouldn’t release the specifics of the indictments, saying that’s up to a judge to make the details public.

State Attorney General Kamala Harris says the environmental damage is inexcusable, and that businesses need to get a clear message that incidents of this type won’t be tolerated.

Plains officials say they are disappointed in the action, saying the spill was an accident, and that there was no criminal wrongdoing.

Arraignment in the case is set for June 6th. If convicted, the one employee indicted could face county jail time, and the company more than a million dollars in fines.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.