SANTA BARBARA May 22 (Reuters) - Government prosecutors are investigating the company at the center of the California oil spill for possible criminal sanctions, according to the district attorney of Santa Barbara - a city that helped spawn the modern environmental movement.
Perhaps one of the worst places on Earth for a crude oil leak, Santa Barbara is a beautiful sun-kissed coastal city rich with wildlife, environmental lawyers and wealthy liberal activists.
This week it is also crawling with federal, state and local investigators and attorneys searching for grounds for a possible criminal prosecution against the Texas company whose ruptured pipe fouled beaches and offshore waters.
"I am working with the federal government and the attorney general's office to look into potential criminal, and/or civil prosecution," said Joyce Dudley, Santa Barbara's district attorney.
In an email sent to Reuters on Friday, Tami Kelly, a spokeswoman for Plains All American Pipeline, the Texas-based company that owns and operates the pipeline, declined to comment on Dudley's remarks.
Plains runs a pipeline network of 18,900 miles (30,420 km) in 46 U.S. states, much of it in remote areas where a similarly sized oil spill would likely create less of an impact.
But not in Santa Barbara, where a 3-million gallon oil spill in 1969 gave impetus for the green movement, a rash of environmental laws, and myriad pressure groups. There are more than 50 environmental groups in Santa Barbara today, including "Santa Barbara Car Free," "Get Oil Out!," and "Project Clean Water."
"Santa Barbara is probably the single worst location on the planet anybody could choose for an oil spill," said Eric Smith, a political science professor at UC Santa Barbara who specializes in energy politics.
"Since the '69 spill, people have just been waiting to pounce on the oil industry. To have the spill here, this company is profoundly unlucky."
Plains All American does not just have to contend with angry environmentalists and their lawyers, but also two powerful local prosecutors with political careers to consider and reputations for toughness.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, Dudley said she was traveling to Los Angeles on Tuesday to meet with a team from the U.S. attorney's office to discuss the spill.
Dudley said she is already working with federal lawyers and investigators from the office of Kamala Harris, California's attorney-general who has ambitions for higher office. Harris, a Democrat, recently announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate.
"My office is working closely with our state and federal partners on an investigation of this conduct to ensure we hold responsible parties accountable," Harris said in a statement.
Plains All American said it has more than 100 employees involved in response efforts in Santa Barbara, with more on the way. Its CEO, Greg Armstong, has been in Santa Barbara since Wednesday, the day after the spill, to oversee the response, a company spokeswoman said.
Linda Krop, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara, said the area was rich with animal and plant life, including migrating endangered blue whales. She said her group has already asked for the company's inspection records going back 20 years, as they consider legal action.
"It's a horrible place to have an oil spill," Krop said. (Editing by Dina Kyriakidou and Ken Wills)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.