While small in comparison to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the recent oil spill off Santa Barbara, California has shut down beaches just as the tourism industry enters this Memorial Day weekend. With reports of as much as 105,000 gallons of oil spilled and only 7,000 gallons of mixed oil and water reported recovered, I wonder if its not time to re-look at federal safety, inspection and spill response protocols for the entire industry A May 23, 2015 HuffPost quote stated that Patrick Hodgins, senior director of safety and security for Plains All American Pipeline, issued a statement in response to questions about the company's safety record: "Safety and environmental responsibility are core values to Plains. Since 2008, Plains has significantly increased its size and spending related to our U.S. integrity management and safety programs." Hodgins said the company "exceeded the federal regulatory requirement" by inspecting the pipeline twice within the last three years.
My thought - Two inspections in 3 years...you must be joking.
My thought - Two inspections in 3 years...you must be joking.