Oil facility’s leaking pipes raise fear of hillside collapse
Santa Barbara County inspectors have ordered a Greka Oil & Gas Co. facility near Santa Maria to stop work after finding a possibly dangerous leak.
County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said inspectors were at the site to inspect a leaking line when they found water and crude oil coming from another pipe.
Iskow said enough water and oil had leaked that the entire hillside could collapse.
An Environmental Protection Agency cleanup crew that had been working below the hillside was withdrawn.
Greka has had three spills at the site since last summer. County officials shut down the site Dec. 7 after a spill of an estimated 75,000 gallons of crude oil.
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