Broken Pipe Spills Oily Brine Into Harbor
A pipe on an Exxon water injection well in Wilmington broke Thursday, pouring oily brine into a storm sewer that empties into the Los Angeles Harbor.
Fire boats laid floating booms at Berth 142 to contain an oily film near the dock.
Patrick O’Donnell, a hazardous materials specialist with the Los Angeles County Health Department, said about 1,000 gallons spilled in half an hour before the release was controlled.
The well, located near the intersection of F Street and Wilmington Boulevard, is used to pump water deep underground to prevent soil subsidence caused by oil extraction, and to increase the yield of nearby oil wells.
Mario Rubio, 19, who lives next door to the injection well, said the pipe broke about 10:20 a.m. Thursday and showered the house with brine. “It happened like an eruption,” he said.
O’Donnell said that the responsible parties will pay for any cleanup.
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