The latest spill, thought to be from a decades-old pipeline that connected three platforms to a pumping station in Long Beach, has brought scrutiny to California's aging offshore oil and gas infrastructure.
Officials investigating one of California's largest oil spills are looking into whether a ship's anchor may have struck a pipeline on the ocean floor, causing a major leak of crude into coastal waters and fouling beaches, authorities said Monday.
An acrid stink of petroleum sent Santa Barbara County firefighters scrambling three years ago in a search of a possible spill. When they arrived at Refugio State Beach, oil was staining the pristine sands and seeping into the surf. It would turn out to be the worst California coastal spill in 25 years. But was it a crime scene?
