A Houston-based oil pipeline company has agreed to pay $230 million to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from a massive oil spill in 2015. The spill dumped thousands of gallons of oil along the coastline and was the largest in California since 1969. The exact amount of spilled oil is unknown but estimates are between 123,000 and 630,000 gallons. The spill killed hundreds of birds, seals, and other wildlife.
The company, Plains All American Pipeline, agreed to pay $184 million to fishermen and fish processors. They will also pay $46 million to coastal property owners.
Plains All American Pipeline settled the lawsuit but didn’t admit liability. One of the plaintiff’s attorneys released a statement that said “This settlement should serve as a reminder that pollution just can’t be a cost of doing business, and that corporations will be held accountable for environmental damage they cause.”
During an inspection following the incident, authorities determined the company made multiple preventable errors, failed to detect the pipeline rupture in a timely manner, and responded to the spill too slowly.
In addition to this settlement, in 2020 Plains All American Pipeline also paid $60 million to the government for the safety violations.
