Cleaning crews worked to contain and clean up crude oil that spilled near the intersection of East Cesar E. Chavez and North Eastern avenues after an underground pipeline was ruptured during fiber optic cable installation. The breach released an estimated 2,400 gallons of crude oil into local streets, storm drains, and eventually the Los Angeles River, causing significant disruption to nearby residents, businesses, and schools.
Early investigations pointed to a directional drilling company conducting underground boring as the cause of the pipeline damage. Officials confirmed that it was a human error during the installation of fiber optic lines that led to the puncture of a 16-inch petroleum pipeline operated by the Pacific Pipeline System, owned by Plains All American Pipeline since 2006.
The drilling company in question, Camarillo Drilling Inc., was spotted near the site after the spill. While a company representative declined to confirm involvement or comment without legal counsel, records reveal that Camarillo Drilling previously caused a similar incident in 2020 when it punctured the Santa Ana Pipeline in Riverside during directional boring for a communications cable. That event resulted in a lawsuit filed by the state Department of Water Resources seeking damages for repairs and associated costs.
The fiber optic installation was part of a larger infrastructure effort led by HP Communications, which has secured contracts under the Broadband for All initiative—a $6 billion state and federal program aimed at expanding high-speed internet access across California. This project involves deploying roughly 10,000 miles of fiber optic cable statewide, with over 500 miles planned for Los Angeles County to close the digital divide. HP Communications declined to comment on its role at the spill site.
Additionally, Arcadian Infracom, another Broadband for All contractor, launched a fiber optic project in Boyle Heights in 2023, aiming to link LA to Phoenix and enhance connectivity for East LA and surrounding communities. The broader fiber optic expansion underscores the state's commitment to modernizing infrastructure but also highlights the risks of new construction interfering with existing underground utilities.
Cleanup efforts have reopened the affected streets after several days of closures, but soil remediation is ongoing. Officials continue to assess the incident to determine full accountability and improve safety protocols to prevent similar environmental hazards in the future.