Aging equipment, spills test ties between oil, California

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s uneasy relationship with the oil industry is being tested again by the latest spill to foul beaches and kill birds and fish off Orange County. The state has a long history of environmentally damaging leaks – in just one case in 1991, a work boat accidentally dragged and snapped a pipeline off Ventura County, creating a 5-mile slick. The latest spill off Huntington Beach renewed calls to end drilling in coastal waters and comes amid a societal reckoning over climate change and the nation’s continued reliance on fossil fuels. Environmentalists say the spill shows the continuing danger of decades-old equipment and rigs.