The company sued for negligence in the U.S. oil spill

Auckland (Reuters) – The company behind an oil pipeline off the coast of California has been charged with negligence on Wednesday after an oil spill caused several problems in early October. Texas-based Amplify Energy and two subsidiaries face millions of dollars in fines if convicted.

Federal prosecutors say more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the sea as a result of negligence. Authorities allege that the companies did not respond in a timely manner to their warnings. For example, security systems would have warned of an oil spill at least eight times in 13 hours. Instead of shutting down the pipeline after the alarm, oil supply was resumed.

Many beaches along the Southern California coast have been polluted by oil. As a result, fishing in the area had to be stopped. The thick, sticky fuel struck seals, dolphins and whales living in the area.

The exact cause of the leak is not clear. The U.S. Coast Guard has previously launched an investigation into a container ship because it was suspected that a large crack occurred after the ship’s anchor pulled the pipe.

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