As oil started to cloud the clear Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara, investigators have announced that the pipeline behind the spill was "operating well below its maximum operating capacity."
In a report from CNN.com, the said pipeline's rupture had resulted in the dumping of over 100,000 gallons of crude oil on coastal islands last week.
With a maximum level of 2,000 barrels an hour, the said pipeline was carrying about 1,300 barrels an hour, reported Plains All American Pipeline spokesperson Rick McMichael. He told reporters that the said pipeline, identified as Line 901 was "not operating at capacity before or during the release."
In a separate report by the same publication, Plains All American Pipeline has already been cited for 175 federal safety and maintenance violations since 2006. In total, the company has been responsible for spills totaling a volume of 16,000 barrels as well as property damage amounting to $23 million.
The company reported to be amongst the worst violators of federal safety guidelines, said the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration. The firm rounds up the top five companies with the most safety and maintenance infractions.
With about 105,000 gallons (400,000 liters) estimated to have spilled when the pipeline, running at full capacity, broke on Tuesday. With the clean up time undertermined, the local government has declared a state of emergency over the nine mile stretch in Santa Barbara where two large oil slicks were formed off the coast, shared BBC.
California Governor Jerry Brown declared the state of emergency to assist the state in quickly mobilizing all available resources to address the situation. Brown added, "We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline."
The estimates peg about 21,000 gallons of oil have reached the ocean. Time published that with 9 miles of tainted ocean, clean up of the beach could take weeks with the exact environmental impact only manifesting years later.
