$1.3 Million Fine for SoCal Oil Pipe Break

(CN) - A Southern California pipeline firm will pay a $1.3 million fine for an oil pipeline break in northern Los Angeles County in March 2005. Long Beach-based Pacific Pipeline Systems will also shut down a 70-mile section of the pipeline for strengthening or relocation.

The Line 63 pipeline runs from Bakersfield to Los Angeles through the Tehachapi Mountains, which are geologically unstable. A landslide broke part of underground line in 2005, dumping 3,400 barrels of oil, much of it into Pyramid Lake. The lake is part of the California Aqueduct and a potential drinking water supply.

The agreement resolves a Clean Water Act complaint in Los Angeles Federal Court. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the court.

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