"Pipeline Firm Assured California a Spill Was 'Unlikely'"

"A Texas company whose ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years had assured the government that a break in the line while possible was "extremely unlikely" and state-of-the-art monitoring could quickly detect possible leaks and alert operators, documents show.

Nearly 1,200 pages of records, filed with state regulators by Plains All American Pipeline — a company with a history of violations — detail a range of defenses the company established to guard against crude oil spills and, at the same time, prepare for the worst should a spill occur.

The company acknowledged the potential for oil to leak from the 24-inch, 10.6-mile-long pipeline west of Santa Barbara. A team of experts organized by the company, however, assessed that risk as remote, according to the records, known as a spill response plan, and were released under the state's public records act."

Aljazeera America had the story June 8, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Pipeline Firm Told California Oil Spill 'Extremely Unlikely'" (AP)

"Federal Regulators Restrict Use Of Second Pipeline As Investigation Into California Oil Spill Continues" (DeSmog)