Local News in Brief : Busted Pipeline Causes Oil Spill
An underground pipeline ruptured early Wednesday in Commerce, sending about 5,000-gallons of crude oil gushing onto the street in an industrial area.
About 40 firefighters and 25 hazardous materials crew members were able to stop the oil from reaching the Rio Hondo River, authorities said.
The broken steel pipeline, owned by Western Properties, carried oil from a well to company storage tanks and may have corroded, said Gene Kozlowski, a partner at the company.
It was the county’s third major oil line break over the last month. Early last month, a Mobil Oil pipeline break spewed 60,000 gallons of crude oil into an Encino neighborhood and the Los Angeles River. Two weeks later, the same line ruptured in Sherman Oaks, spilling 126,000 gallons of water and oil.
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