Overview
- A drilling crew struck a 16-inch underground crude oil pipeline near East Cesar Chavez and Eastern avenues in East Los Angeles, causing oil to flow into the street and nearby drainage.
- Los Angeles County Fire Department hazmat teams arrived and shut down the pipeline after the leak was discovered, with officials estimating the flow at roughly 0.5 gallons per second when the line was isolated.
- The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert and closed the affected stretch of road, asking motorists to avoid the area while emergency crews work on scene.
- Responders reported a significant amount of crude entered storm drains but said there was no immediate safety threat to homes; the total spilled volume and full scope of contamination remain under assessment.
- Plains West Coast Pipeline identified itself as the pipe owner and said its crews responded on site, and officials said cleanup plans, environmental testing, and an investigation into the cause are ongoing with potential impacts to downstream waterways and port operations to be monitored.