Crews Search for Break in Line : Oil Leak Puts the Brakes on Fast Trip to Brea Mall

A leaking oil line forced the closure of two southbound lanes of State College Boulevard at Lambert Road in Brea Friday, snarling traffic and slowing the rush of post-Christmas shoppers to Brea Mall.

By late Friday afternoon, about 400 to 500 gallons of crude oil had leaked from one of two Unocal pipelines that run under the intersection, Brea Fire Chief James Parker said. However, no health or fire hazards as a result of the leak have been found by the county’s Health Care Agency and the city’s Fire Department, officials said.

Although Unocal shut down the two pipelines, oil in the line is continuing to seep out, Parker said, and Unocal and city maintenance workers are continuing to search for the leak. The two southbound lanes on State College Boulevard remained closed while workers searched, William Kelly, the city development services director, said.

The leak was reported at about 4 a.m. Friday when a patrolling police officer noticed a small pool of oil in the street and called city maintenance workers, Kelly said. After the maintenance crew had mopped up the first pool and left, more oil seeped out from the street and spread, Kelly said.

Oil on Way to Wilmington

Fire Department officials later determined that the oil came from a Unocal pipeline under the intersection. The Unocal pipe carries the oil to a company refinery in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles. Unocal officials said they did not know which refinery receives the oil.

Friday morning traffic was backed up for at least a half a mile in all directions from the intersection, Kelly said. State College Boulevard lanes lead directly to Brea Mall several blocks away.

“It couldn’t have happened on a worse day,” Kelly said. “Everybody’s going to the mall to shop and return (gifts), and the traffic has been just really bad.”

“There were so many drivers looking for the mall, and the leak really messed up their directions,” said Ed Huy, a city maintenance worker. “Every once in a while, somebody would just yell out the window and ask, ‘Where’s the mall?”’

However, the Brea Mall’s general manager, James Charter, said the leak did not deter shoppers. The mall and its parking lot have been packed, he said.

“It might have been difficult for some people to get here because of the leak. But most people are determined to get the (post-Christmas) bargains and to exchange unwanted gifts,” Charter said.