California pipeline may have been hooked by ship’s anchor

By BRIAN MELLEY, MATTHEW BROWN and STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The pipeline that leaked tens of thousands of gallons of oil into the water off Southern California was split open and apparently dragged more than 100 feet along the ocean floor, possibly by a ship’s anchor. That’s according to authorities investigating the spill. Federal transportation investigators said Tuesday that preliminary reports suggest the failure may have been caused by an anchor that hooked the pipeline and caused a partial tear. The findings were included in an order from the Department of Transportation that blocks the company that operates the pipeline from restarting it without extensive inspections and testing.