Southern California Air Quality Monitoring Agency issued violation notices to three companies on June 18 regarding an oil spill incident in East Los Angeles, where tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil leaked.
According to reports from a local news agency, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued violation notices to Arcadian Infracom, HP Communications, and Camarillo Drilling, citing a strong odor from the oil spill incident that occurred on May 22.
The incident was caused by cutting into an oil pipeline while installing fiber optic lines. AQMD data indicates that around 25,000 gallons of crude oil leaked in the area near 200 N. Eastern Ave., close to Cesar Chavez Avenue, with some of it flowing into the stormwater system and eventually reaching the Los Angeles River.
In a statement, AQMD mentioned that they received and dealt with three complaints from the public on that day, reporting a strong petroleum odor at the scene, including one complaint from Esteban E. Torres High School. Inspectors from AQMD confirmed the odor on the school campus and traced it back to the oil spill site. During the repair and cleanup operations, the agency received a total of seven related complaints within a week.
According to AQMD’s statement, the drilling activities conducted by Camarillo Drilling led to the pipeline rupture, and this project was supervised by Arcadian Infracom on behalf of HP Communications, the contractor responsible for installing the fiber optic lines.
AQMD mentioned that the three companies were notified of potential public nuisance violations due to unauthorized emissions causing “significant numbers of people or the general public to be harmed, annoyed, or disturbed” by pollutants. Unless a settlement is reached, these violation notices could result in civil penalties.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Economic Opportunity Bureau announced that they would provide direct assistance to businesses affected by the oil spill incident. Officials stated that businesses experiencing financial losses, property damage, cleanup costs, or operational disruptions due to the incident may be eligible to file compensation claims against Pacific Pipeline System LLC, the owner of the pipeline involved. Potential applicants can contact a third-party claims management agency at 877-817-5465 to initiate the application process.
Kelly LoBianco, the director of the Economic Opportunity Bureau, stated their efforts in ensuring that business owners understand the claims process and have access to available assistance resources.
The Small Business Office of Los Angeles County is also offering one-on-one assistance to help business owners prepare and submit their claims. County officials emphasized that claims must specify the sought compensation amount and provide relevant supporting documents. Required information may include business licenses, financial statements, sales reports, bank statements, damage photos, contract cancellation records, payroll data, repair estimates, and cleanup cost receipts.
Business owners can seek assistance at the East Los Angeles Entrepreneurship Center’s small business office located at 4716 Cesar Chavez Avenue, or contact 844-432-4900 or email osb@opportunity.lacounty.gov for support.