ScrAPES#21: Company Indicted for California Oil Spill
by Richard Perez-Pena
May 17, 2016
A company is being criminally charged by Californian prosecutors for the oil leak last year; which was caused by the company's ruptured oil pipeline. The Santa Barbara County grand jury had indicted the company, Plains All American, with four felonies and 42 misdemeanors. James Buchanan, an environmental and regulatory compliance at the company is also being charged with misdemeanor. The company states that neither the company nor any its employees engaged in any criminal activities or behavior. If Plains is found guilty they could face fines up to $2.8 million.
This article interest me because I did not know who was the cause of that oil spill and that oil spill frightened me last year because I knew, before I attended Environmental Science, that any chemicals that is mixed with the planet's water or water in general is very dangerous. This is actually the first time I have heard of the court or any high authority actually taking charge of severe environmental situations like this. I believe that the company deserves to be sentenced guilty because it was their fault for the oil spill because they were the one who were supposed to make sure oil definitely does not spill into the water.
This is important to the environment because I think the court did the right thing by indicting the Plains company. I also think the United States should take environmental hazard seriously; for example, plastics in the ocean needs to be seriously taken care of because it is just like a typical oil spill. It kills the aquatic animals, poisonous to humans because we eat fish who then eats plastics, and it is a factor of water pollution. If only the court can find a better alternative instead of plastic and then our planet will be one step to a better environment.
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Good job! 5/5
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