VENTURA, Calif., June 23 (UPI) -- Firefighters and other emergency personnel were faced with a major environmental hazard in Southern California on Thursday after a pipeline broke and began leaking hundreds of barrels of crude oil, authorities said.
Initially, officials said as many as 5,000 barrels of crude may have spilled in the Ventura area -- located about 65 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Later, though, that estimate was reduced to 700 barrels, which is equal to nearly 30,000 gallons.