Page 4 - aruba-today-20220516

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 16 May 2022
Low winds may help crews control huge New Mexico wildfire

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Nationwide, more than
Crews fighting the sec- 2,000 square miles (5,180
ond-largest wildfire in New square kilometers) have
Mexico’s history are trying burned so far this year —
to take advantage of sev- the most at this point since
eral days of mild winds to 2018, according to the
gain control over a fire that National Interagency Fire
had charred more than 450 Center.
square miles (1,165 square In Colorado, a fire burn-
kilometers) by Sunday. ing in ponderosa pine and
Fire officials said the wildfire grass southwest of Colo-
grew by about 14 square rado Springs had grown to
miles (36 square kilometers) 1.8 square miles (4.6 square
since Saturday night but kilometers) by Sunday and
now was at 36% contain- remained 10% contained,
ment, up from 27% previ- fire officials said.
ously. It was originally fore- The High Park Fire broke out
cast that winds would pick Thursday about 4 miles (6
up Monday, but fire officials kilometers) west of the for-
said that likely won’t hap- mer mining town of Cripple
pen until later in the week. Creek. The cause of the fire
“We get a small reprieve,” remains unknown.
fire information officer Ren- A haze of wildfire smoke hangs over the Upper Rio Grande valley behind the mesa-top city of Los On Sunday morning, the
ette Saba said Sunday. Alamos, N.M., on Thursday, May 12, 2022. evacuation area included
“The winds are not strong Associated Press 134 homes while another
enough to keep from get- the small New Mexico city president’s recent disaster burn in the Santa Fe Na- 463 residences were under
ting air resources in there. of Las Vegas for a time be- declaration. tional Forest. pre-evacuation notices,
The crews feel they can fore being stopped just out- The governor said the need- Wildfires have broken out said fire information officer
make good progress on side town in the past week. ed response, including im- this spring across multiple Maribeth Pecotte.
contingency lines.” The blaze has already de- mediate funding for debris states in the western U.S., Crews were doing mop-up
Saba said the fire was ac- stroyed at least 473 struc- removal and “a full range including California, Colo- work on the northwest and
tively burning on one side tures including homes and of emergency protective rado and Arizona. west-southwest edges of
only, with the north part go- other buildings. measures,” exceeds the Predictions for the rest of the fire on Sunday. At least
ing over an old scar area New Mexico Gov. Michelle state’s capabilities and the the spring do not bode well four helicopters were aid-
and producing a large Lujan Grisham said Friday federal government should for the West, with drought ing fire crews on the south-
smoke plume. in a letter to President Joe bear 100% of the costs be- and warmer weather eastern edge of the fire,
Nearly 2,000 firefighters Biden that New Mexico cause one part of the fire brought on by climate which was burning in steep,
were battling the 5-week- needs more help than is was ignited by wind-blown change worsening wildfire rocky terrain with heavy fu-
old fire that threatened being provided under the embers from a prescribed danger. els, Pecotte said.q

$230M settlement reached over 2015 California oil spill

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The owners, court documents documents. pipeline north of Refugio more than 1,000 miles
owner of an oil pipeline that show. Houston-based The company didn’t admit State Beach in Santa Bar- (1,600 kilometers) away
spewed thousands of bar- Plains All American Pipeline liability in the agreement, bara County, northwest had turned off an alarm
rels of crude oil onto South- agreed to pay $184 million which follows seven years of Los Angeles, spreading that would have signaled
ern California beaches in to fishermen and fish pro- of legal wrangling. The along the coasts of Santa a leak and, unaware a spill
2015 has agreed to pay cessors and $46 million to agreement still must un- Barbara, Ventura and Los had occurred, restarted
$230 million to settle a class- coastal property owners dergo a public comment Angeles counties. the hemorrhaging line af-
action lawsuit brought by in the settlement reached period and needs federal It was the worst California ter it had shut down, which
fishermen and property Friday, according to court court approval. A hearing coastal oil spill since 1969 only made matters worse,
on the matter is scheduled and it blackened popular inspectors found.
for June 10. beaches for miles, killing Plains apologized for the
“This settlement should or fouling hundred of sea- spill and paid for the clean-
serve as a reminder that birds, seals and other wild- up. The company’s 2017
pollution just can’t be a life and hurting tourism and annual report estimated
cost of doing business, fishing. costs from the spill at $335
and that corporations will A federal investigation said million, not including lost
be held accountable for 123,000 gallons spilled, but revenue. The company
environmental damage other estimates by experts also revised its plans for
they cause,” said Matthew in liquids mechanics were dealing with onshore pipe-
Preusch, one of the attor- as high as 630,000 gallons. line spills.
neys who represented the Federal inspectors found In 2020, Plains agreed to
plaintiffs. that Plains had made sev- pay $60 million to the fed-
Plains All American Pipeline eral preventable errors, eral government to settle
officials didn’t immediately failed to quickly detect allegations that it violated
return a message Saturday the pipeline rupture and safety laws. It also agreed
Workers monitor the site where an underground oil pipe broke
the day before near Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif., from The Associated Press responded too slowly as oil to bring its nationwide
May 20, 2015, polluting beaches and killing hundreds of birds seeking comment. flowed toward the ocean. pipeline system into com-
and marine mammals. On May 19, 2015, oil Plains operators working pliance with federal safety
Associated Press gushed from a corroded from a Texas control room laws. q