EAST LOS ANGELES () — Crews worked Friday to clean up a large oil spill in East Los Angeles after a construction project ruptured an underground pipeline, sending thousands of gallons of crude oil into streets, storm drains and the L.A. River.
The area near Cesar Chavez and Eastern avenues was closed and remained shut down as of 5 p.m. due to the incident as cleanup efforts were still underway. Crews initially responded to a call at about 3:21 a.m.
Investigators said a crew installing fiber optic cables accidentally drilled into an oil pipeline, sending black crude bubbling into Eastern Avenue near Cesar Chavez. Officials estimated that about 2,400 gallons of oil leaked during the incident.
The spill disrupted the area, as emergency crews responded and traffic slowed while crews worked to contain the damage.
Ernest Mendoza, who lives near the area, described the conditions earlier in the day.
“I live about four houses down and this morning was really bad cause I’m very sensitive to the smells and it was really bad this morning,” Mendoza said.
Fire officials said the oil initially flowed at a rapid rate.
“We were looking at about 5 gallons a second coming out. Our crew was on it. They started a hazmat response,” said Aaron Katon, a captain and public information officer with the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Officials said the pipeline operator eventually shut down the flow, but not before creating environmental concerns.
Much of the oil ended up in the storm drains and made it into the L.A. River, which flows for miles before draining into the ocean.
“They’re checking the storm drain network to see how far this flow went. Then once they figure that out, they’re gonna have to stop it and initiate cleanup efforts,” Katon said.
Local officials are pressing for a full investigation and its public health and environmental impacts.
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