Amplify Energy California Coast Oil Spill Class Action

The oil pipeline that ruptured on October 1, 2021, was owned and operated by the defendants in this case: Amplify Energy Corporation, Beta Operating Company, LLC, and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company. The plaintiffs are sportfishing companies, commercial fishers, and property owners and lessees affected by the oil spill that damaged twenty-three miles of California coastline and killed birds, fish, and other marine wildlife.

According to the complaint, for the defendants in this case, “a major oil spill was only a matter of time: federal agencies have cited defendants for over 125 safety and maintenance violations since 1980, including an oil spill. Of these violations, 72 were so severe that drilling had to be stopped and the problem fixed before operations could be resumed.” Another safety warning came just a few days before the spill.

The oil spill was much worse than it should have been because the companies did not discover it immediately. The complaint alleges that the oil companies “either lacked or ignored the basic industry-standard safety equipment that would have recognized the telltale signs of a spill: a decrease in the pressure of the pipeline and a change in the flow rate of oil.”

Because of this, they continued pumping oil through the broken pipeline for hours. The complaint alleges, “Defendants did not notify the authorities until over 15 hours after the spill began—and only after consulting the company’s risk management firm…”

The pipeline may have spilled as much as 131,000 gallons of crude oil, which fouled beaches, protected wetlands, and harbors. The complaint claims, “As of Friday, October 8, 2021, there were reports that San Diego County may declare a state of emergency as a result of tar balls likely related to the spill washing up on its beaches.” Some 1,600 workers and 11,400 feet of containment boom have been employed in the clean-up effort.

The complaint alleges that the defendants “failure to maintain and monitor the pipeline led to its rupture.”

The claims include Strict Liability under the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act and Strict Liability for Ultrahazardous Activities, among other things.

Three classes have been named for this action:

• The Commercial Fishing Class, for those owning or working on certain vessels docked in Newport Harbor or Dana Point Harbor, who landed seafood in certain fishing blocks or who bought and resold the landed seafood, as of October 2, 2021.
• The Marine Charter Class, for those owning or working on vessels for charters for fishing or sea life observation, including whale watching, that operated within certain fishing blocks, between October 2, 2011 and October 2, 2021, that were in operation on October 2, 2021.
• The Real Property Class, for owners or lessees of residential beachfront property or residential properties with a private easement to a beach, between Seaport Street in Huntington Beach and the San Juan Creek in Dana Point.

For further details defining these classes, see the complaint linked below.

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Environmental
Tags: Environmental, Environmental Damage, Oil Spill