EPA Calls for More Study of Pipeline Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called for further environmental studies of a proposed oil pipeline from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, but the request is not expected to jeopardize the $215-million project, the president of the pipeline company said Thursday.

“It’s normal for the EPA to want that, but we have a tremendous amount of environmental studies on our side,” said Norm Rooney, head of Ventura-based Pacific Pipeline.

In a recent letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, the EPA cited potential significant ecological harm to wildlife and streams along the 171-mile pipeline that would carry crude oil from oil fields off Point Arguello to refineries in Wilmington.

The EPA praised the draft of an state environmental report but urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct its own study of possible environmental hazards, including the potential for an earthquake-induced spill.

The EPA request could raise obstacles for the pipeline if the federal review process drags on, officials said. A California Coastal Commission deadline requires oil companies to commit to a pipeline project by February--and failure of Pacific Pipeline to meet federal regulations by then could tip the scales in favor of another pipeline company, officials said.