LA Times: 4,000 gallons of oil and toxic wastewater spilled near Monterey County Creek

More than 4,000 gallons of oil and contaminated wastewater spilled in southern Monterey County following a pipeline failure early Friday, according to state emergency filings. (the spill) was “contained to the immediate area,” according to field operator Aera Energy. The spill occurred near Sargent Creek, just over a mile upstream from its confluence with the Salinas River — a key drinking and irrigation source for the Salinas Valley and much of the Central Coast. While no waterways were directly affected, the material has spread into surrounding soil. (The high-energy process to drill for the thick San Ardo oil makes it one of the most climate polluting sources of oil in the world – worse, even, than Canada’s notoriously dirty tar sands. Read more HERE)