The size and scope of the Refugio Oil Spill may have been far larger than originally reported, according to documents released today by the company responsible.
In the weeks following the May 19 incident, Plains All American Pipeline publicly estimated that 101,000 gallons of oil spilled from a corroded pipeline it operates along the Gaviota Coast. That number was repeatedly cited by Coast Guard and EPA officials during their emergency response and cleanup efforts.
But in a second-quarter financial statement made public this Wednesday, the Houston-based company now states as many as 143,000 gallons could have been released.