Good morning and welcome to the National Transportation Safety Board.
I’m Jennifer Homendy and I’m honored to serve as Chair of the NTSB. With me today are my Board colleagues: Member Bruce Landsberg, Member Michael Graham, and Member Tom Chapman.
Today’s meeting is open to the public, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act.
We’re here to discuss a crude oil release from an underwater pipeline that occurred on October 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay near Huntington Beach, California. In total, an estimated 588 barrels – or nearly 25,000 gallons – of crude oil was released from the pipeline.
Damage, including clean-up costs, was estimated at around $160 million, and although there were no human injuries, there most certainly was injury to the environment and to wildlife and their habitats.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the oil spill impacted ocean waters, rocky intertidal habitats, subtidal habitats, sandy beaches, and sensitive marsh habitats as well as the fish, birds, invertebrates, and marine mammals that inhabit those areas.
During the response, a total of 116 dead birds were recovered and more than 30 live oiled birds were collected and rehabilitated. Among these birds, several threatened Western Snowy Plover were treated and released. Marine mammal experts were also dispatched to respond to animal strandings.
The spill also closed multiple beaches and harbors, affected the well-known Pacific Airshow, and impacted recreational and commercial fishing.
I should mention that, right before Thanksgiving, another pipeline ruptured, releasing 1.1 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This incident has received barely any attention, yet the impact to the environment and to commercial fishing is substantial.
Now, each Board Member has studied the draft report and met individually with the investigative team. This is the first time we’ve gathered as a Board to discuss the report.
In a moment, NTSB staff will present the pertinent facts and analysis and summarize their findings in detail.
After their presentations, Board Members will question staff on the key safety issues uncovered during the investigation. These include:
- Weather, anchor dragging, and pipeline damage;
- Anchorage location, hazard awareness, and notification of damage to the pipeline operator;
- The response by pipeline controllers to leak alarms; and
- Issues related to alcohol and other drug testing, fatigue.
Staff will then propose the relevant findings, probable causes, and safety recommendations for Board consideration.
Following the incorporation of any amendments voted on today, the final report will be available on our website in a few weeks.
The public docket for this investigation was released on March 31st and contains over 4,000 pages of additional relevant material. It’s available on our website at NTSB.gov.
Before we begin, I’d like to thank the United States Coast Guard and, in particular, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach; the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; Amplify Energy Corporation; MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.; and V.Ships Greece Limited for their collaboration with us on-scene and their role as parties to our investigation.
While they’re not part of the analysis, parties are crucial in helping us develop the facts around an investigation.
I’d also like to acknowledge the following organizations for their role in the response and for working with us over the course of our investigation:
- The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
- The Marine Exchange of Southern California;
- The Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles-Long Beach;
- The United States Geological Survey;
- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife; and
- Local law enforcement.
I’ll now ask Deputy Managing Director for Investigations Brian Curtis to introduce members of the NTSB team participating in today’s meeting.
Good morning, Mr. Curtis.
