Pyramid Lake Oil Spill Contained

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Pacific Energy Partners, L.P. said that the 126,000-gallon oil spill at Pyramid Lake, caused by a ruptured pipeline owned by one of its subsidiaries, was fully contained Thursday afternoon.


Heavy rains caused a landslide that bent and eventually cracked the pipeline, which carries nearly 60,000 barrels, or 2.5 million gallons, from Bakersfield to Los Angeles each day. The result was Thursday’s oil spill into a cove of Pyramid Lake, in the mountains north of L.A. The line is owned by Pacific Pipeline System, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Long Beach-based Pacific Energy.


Pacific Pipeline System said over 100 people worked at the site on cleanup and recovery. Oil removal equipment was been used to clean the water.


The company said its goal was to remove the oil from the surface of the lake as quickly as possible in order to lessen the risk to the environment and wildlife. There were no reports of environmental damage, according to a company press release.


Pacific Pipeline System has also been working closely with different local, state and federal agencies. Plans for repair of the damaged pipeline are being prepared, the company said.