"Pipeline That Leaked Wasn't Equipped With Auto Shut-Off"

"LOS ANGELES — The pipeline that leaked thousands of gallons of oil on the California coast was the only pipe of its kind in the county not required to have an automatic shut-off valve because of a court fight nearly three decades ago, a county official said.

The original owner of the pipeline skirted the Santa Barbara County requirement by successfully arguing in court in the late 1980s that it should be subject to federal oversight because the pipeline is part of an interstate network, said Kevin Drude, deputy director of the county's Energy and Minerals Division. Auto shut-off valves are not required by federal regulators.

'It's the only major pipeline that doesn't have auto shut-off,' Drude said. 'For us, it's routine.'"

Brian Melley reports for the Associated Press May. 23, 2015.