$5-million plea deal in oil spill largest state misdemeanor fine in O.C. history
Good morning. It’s Friday, Sept. 9. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
State Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta was in Santa Ana yesterday afternoon to join Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer, County Supervisor Katrina Foley, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Chief of Enforcement David Bess and others at a news conference announcing Amplify Energy Corp. had pleaded no contest in an O.C. courtroom earlier in the day to six criminal charges related to last October’s oil spill off the Huntington Beach coast.
As part of a plea agreement, Amplify, which with its subsidiaries Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co. operated the pipeline that ruptured and led to the spill, will pay nearly $5 million. Bonta told the reporters gathered for the news conference that it is believed to be the largest state misdemeanor criminal fine in Orange County history. The fine will be split between the state and county governments.
My colleagues Matt Szabo of the Daily Pilot and Hannah Fry of the Los Angeles Times were among the reporters covering the announcement of Amplify’s plea. In Szabo’s report, he quoted Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer’s descriptive words about how the operators of the oil pipeline delayed notifying appropriate agencies, allowing the oil spill to grow to 25,000 gallons that reached Huntington Beach and Newport Beach sands. Extensive clean-up efforts were required; wildlife suffered.
Spitzer said Amplify “unequivocally hit the snooze button. They shut down the pipeline, they started it up again, and there were seven more instances where the alarm notified them that there was a leak,” he said. “Snooze, snooze, snooze, snooze, snooze, snooze, snooze. Over and over, they kept ignoring it. That is criminal, and that is why they’ve been charged.”
Amplify appears to be trying to ease its financial hits from the fines. According to Fry’s report, Amplify President and Chief Executive Martyn Willsher has said his firm is still pursuing a lawsuit against the companies that own and operate two container ships that have been accused of dragging their anchors across the sea floor and damaging the pipeline months before the spill.
MORE NEWS
— Huntington Beach recently welcomed a new member to its police force — an 11-year-old American quarter horse named Guardian who was selected to serve in the department’s Mounted Enforcement Unit. His partner in the unit is Officer Victor Ojeda.
— As the pandemic evolves, area municipalities are adjusting. This week, for example, the Fountain Valley City Council voted to terminate its declaration of a local emergency that was put into effect during the early days of the pandemic. The declaration, commonly employed by cities in the spring of 2020, made it easier for them to seek reimbursement from state and federal government for money spent on preparedness and to exercise emergency authority.
— The Costa Mesa City Council decided Tuesday night to earmark $1.2 million to fund 11 full-time jailers. The vote was unanimous to approve the hiring of the new personnel, after a longstanding contract with a third-party company to provide basic jail services was terminated in May due to a “mass resignation” that left only two officers on the job.
LIFE & LEISURE
— The sold-out D23 Expo 2022, the “Ultimate Disney Fan Event,” as it’s billed, gets underway today at Anaheim Convention Center. If you do not hold tickets, you can livestream it today, tomorrow and Sunday at D23Expo.com and by following @DisneyD23 on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. L.A. Times game critic Todd Martens gives readers the full low-down on the expo, where he says people paid about $100 per day to “wait in long lines to witness what’s next for Marvel, Lucasfilm and [Disney’s] theme parks.”
— A $30,000 installation of outdoor musical instruments the public can take turns playing was recently unveiled at the county-run Donald Dungan Library, the brainchild of a member of the Friends of Costa Mesa Libraries, Donna Stapleton. She had been visiting a relative in Wisconsin when she first saw a similar installation outside a library there and thought the idea was worth pursuing here. Through Friends’ fundraising efforts that included a generous gift from resident Richard Alexander, in memory of his late wife, Charlotte, and $15,000 in funding from the office of Supervisor Katrina Foley, the idea was turned into a harmonious reality.
SPORTS
— The Angels’ pitching plan for their series with the Astros in Houston includes Orange County native Michael Lorenzen starting today, Shohei Ohtani on Saturday and Tucker Davidson on Sunday. The plan shifts Reid Detmers to a Monday start in Cleveland against the Guardians, according to this piece by L.A. Times reporter Sarah Valenzuela, who covers the Halos.
—The Rip Curl World Surf League Finals were held at Lower Trestles in San Clemente this week, with Filipe Toledo of Brazil and Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore winning the men’s and women’s championships, respectively.
— CureDuchenne, a nonprofit focused on finding and funding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will partner with NHL Stanley Cup winner and retired Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf for the 11th annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point on Saturday. The shotgun start is at 10:30 a.m.
CALENDAR THIS
— The 38th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day takes place on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon in most places, according to organizers. If you’d like to lend a hand at a local beach that day visit coastal.ca.gov for all the details.
— Brew HaHa Craft Beer Festival is set for Saturday in Oak Canyon Park, 5305 E. Santiago Road, Silverado. Tickets allow visitors unlimited tastings of craft beer, cider and seltzer for up to four hours, between 1 and 4 p.m. While the adult beverages are for 21 and older, the event welcomes all ages. Food trucks and live entertainment featuring No Duh (Tribute to No Doubt), Green Today (Tribute to Green Day) and Blink 180 True (Tribute to Blink 182). It’s recommended tickets be purchased ahead of time online here, although they will be sold at the door if space allows.
— The Ocean Institute’s annual Maritime Festival begins today and runs through Sunday. Tall ships, cannon battles, Pirate and Mermaid Ball, beer garden, mermaids swim shows, pirate school, live music, reenactors and sailor camp, vendors and food trucks. The Ocean Institute is located at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. For more information visit oceaninstitute.org.
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you have a memory or story about Orange County, I would love to read and share it in this space. Please try to keep your submission to 100 words or less and include your name and current city of residence.
I’d appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C., or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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