Plains All American Pipeline

One of the largest land-based oil spills in North America, the Little Buffalo oil spill occurred on April 29, 2011. The Rainbow Pipeline system, owned by Plains Midstream Canada, ruptured, spilling 28,000 barrels of oil in a fairly isolated stretch of boreal forest in northern Alberta, about four miles from the nearest homes in Little Buffalo, Alberta. It was reported to be the largest oil spill in Alberta in 36 years. It was also the second spill in Alberta within a two-week period that year.[8][9] The local school was closed following the oil spill due to concerns about the effects of fumes.[10]

Heavy rains in early June 2012 caused a leak on a Plains Midstream Canada 46-year-old pipeline at Jackson Creek, a tributary of the Red Deer River (Alberta) which spilled approximately 1,000-3,000 barrels (160,000-475,000 litres) of light sour crude into the Red Deer River.[11][12][13]

In 2013, Alberta's Energy Resource Conservation Board (ERCB) issued a reprimand to Plains Mainstream for operational failures in connection with the oil spill.[14] Plains Midstream Canada ULC was charged with three counts of violating environmental protection laws with possible fines of $1.5M if found guilty.[15]

On May 19, 2015, a pipeline operated by Plains All American Pipeline ruptured north-west of Santa Barbara, California,.[16] Within 24 hours, oil had polluted approximately nine miles of the Santa Barbara coast . The spill shut down the popular El Capitan Beach and Campground just prior to the beginning of the summer high season (Memorial Day weekend). Most recent estimates of the spill have risen to over 105,000 U.S. gallons (2,500 barrels).[17] More than 20,000 U.S. gallons (480 barrels) of crude oil is estimated to have spilled into the ocean.[18] The United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce opened an investigation into the oil spill on June 25, 2015 to gather information on maintenance of the line; corrosion management; and process of incident-reporting. According to federal regulations, companies are required to report to the National Response Center on the release of hazardous-material "at the earliest practicable moment."[19] According to preliminary findings of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration released in June, corrosion had worn a pipeline section to less than an inch thick.[19] California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) director Mark S. Ghilarducci testified at the state legislative hearing on June 25 that it appeared that Plains All American did not meet criteria for prompt notification.[19] By June 2015 the cost of cleanup rose to USD$92 million.[19] Santa Barbara County firefighters were among the first to discover the spill on May 19, 2015 and they "built a rim of rocks to prevent oil from running to the shoreline."[20] The Coast Guard received the first call about the spill at 12:39 p.m. on May 19, 2015. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard formed the Unified Command to respond to the spill.[20]

According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) [21] crews were among the first responders of the crude oil spill. By June 22, 2015 they reported that,[21]

"Of the estimated 101,000 gallons of crude discharged into the environment, some 21,000 gallons reached the Pacific Ocean. A Unified Command including OSPR leadership was established in Santa Barbara to coordinate cleanup and recovery operations. As of June 22, operations continue with the focus shifting from cleanup to environmental restoration.

— OSPR June 2015

OSPR uses social media including Twitter and Facebook via calspillwatch to report updates on oil spills.[21]