Company responsible for O.C. oil spill gets permission to repair pipeline
By Kevin Allen
Marcy Wheeler
Feb 18, 2014
A private pipeline company got approval from the U.S. Coast Guard to repair a portion of the O.C. oil spill, according to the agency.
The O.C. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a recommendation by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of the Interior to repair a section of the pipeline, allowing the company to begin work immediately.
“Obviously, everyone loves the idea of getting this pipeline repaired as quickly as possible,” said Scott K. Nelson, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued an environmental permit Friday allowing the company to repair the line.
A spokeswoman for the company, which also is named Baykeeper, said the company was pleased to receive the approval.
“Baykeeper appreciates today’s news and looks forward to working with state and federal agencies to begin the repair process,” said Kari Mattson, an oil spill response official.
But while the company was pleased to hear the news, Nelson said Wednesday’s decision had significant limitations.
The pipeline was constructed on land that was in part the O.C. Naval Air Training Center before being transferred to the Navy, which later sold the land and began building housing.
The O.C. City Council passed a resolution in December calling for the pipeline to be repaired.
In an email last week, Mayor Michael Gonnelli said the city was “committed to making the community a better place to live” and that the pipeline project would help “ensure that the public’s safety and health is not compromised.”
“We are pleased that the Coast Guard has agreed to allow Baykeeper to work on the