Oil Pipeline Leak Shuts Down Sepulveda Boulevard in West LA

Los Angeles firefighters said they contained a pipeline leak that spewed about 1,000 gallons of oil onto Sepulveda Boulevard on Monday, April 24.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, authorities were first alerted about the material at 5:54 pm on Monday in the 2800 block of South Sepulveda Boulevard. Crews at the site said oil was spilling out at an approximate rate of 3 to 5 gallons per minute. Firefighters created dams using shovels and nearby dirt to protect the storm drains. The department said an estimated total of about 1,000 gallons made its way out of the ground, while only 20-40 gallons seeped into the storm drain before firefighters contained the flow.

Footage posted to YouTube by the LAFD shows several firefighting crew workers and other agencies working to contain the flow of oil and clean up the site on Monday evening. Footage taken by Captain Erik B Scott shows crew members digging at the site of the oil leak. “Multiple federal, state, and local agencies are continuously working to mitigate this incident. Currently digging to reach the oil transmission lines beneath the ground. No fire, no injuries, no evacuations”, Scott tweeted.

Local news outlets said Sepulveda Boulevard was shut down near the site in both directions for an unknown duration. Credit: Erik B. Scott/The Los Angeles Fire Department via Storyful

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ERIK SCOTT: We're on scene of an oil leak from the ground and Sepulveda Boulevard in West Los Angeles, that firefighters are working hard to keep from going in the storm drain.

- We arrived on scene to find oil seeping up from the ground on the east side of Sepulveda Boulevard at approximately 3 to 5 gallons per minute. Firefighters quickly created dams using shovels and nearby dirt to contain the leaking oil and protect the storm drains.

An estimated total of approximately 1,000 gallons made its way out of the ground. Only about 20 to 40 gallons escaped into storm drains before firefighters arrived on scene and contained the rest of the immediate area. Clean Harbors ordered a vacuum truck and Street Services delivered sand.

And LAFD Heavy Equipment responded quickly with a skid steer with rubber tracks so as not to cause damage to the street. And they picked up piles of sand and created a containment dam to ensure further that the oil would not enter the storm drain. And that allowed the vacuum trucks then to safely and carefully suck up to standing oil.

There are multiple oil pipelines that run through the area. And agencies are working together to determine which line was compromised. Watershed, LA County Health Hazmat, and Clean Harbors, along with other agencies as needed, will clean up along with the parties on site.

Fortunately, there was no injury. There was no fire and no evacuation, and ultimately, no significant ongoing hazard. However, Sepulveda Boulevard is shut down in both directions for an unknown duration, as we remain on scene.

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