Firefighters responded around 3:20 a.m. to a hazardous materials incident near East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern avenues in East Los Angeles. A crew boring a 6-inch hole about 10 feet underground to install fiberoptic cable struck a pipeline running 10 feet under the street that transports crude oil from Kern County to the Port of Los Angeles. The rupture released crude oil at an estimated rate of five gallons per second. Oil entered the storm drain, and the pipeline operator shut down the pipeline within 30 minutes. Crews measured the extent of the flow and coordinated with collaborating agencies to protect the environment. The amount released was not yet estimated, and crews were expected to remain on scene for hours. The California Highway Patrol closed the intersection in all directions for six hours starting around 7:30 a.m.
"Firefighters responded around 3:20 a.m. to a report of a hazardous material incident near East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern avenues, according to Los Angeles County Fire Captain Aaron Katon."
"A crew that was boring a 6-inch hole 10 feet underground to lay fiberoptic cable hit a pipeline that also runs10 feet under the street transporting crude oil from Kern County to the Port of Los Angeles, Katon said."
"There was a leak of five gallons per second as crews immediately got to work trying to contain the spill, Katon said. There was a significant enough quantity of oil that it got into the storm drain. The pipeline operator shut down the pipeline within 30 minutes."
"Officials are focusing on protecting the environment, as crews have teams measuring the extent of the flows and work with collaborating agencies, Katon said. It's too early to estimate how much crude oil was released. Crews are expected to be at the scene for hours."
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