Ship anchor suspected in pipeline break that fouled beaches

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A probe is continuing into what caused an offshore pipeline break that spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil off Southern California. One possibility is that an anchor on a cargo ship snagged the pipe, dragged it and eventually cracked it open. Federal transportation investigators said preliminary reports suggest the failure may have been “caused by an anchor that hooked the pipeline, causing a partial tear.” Steven Browne is a professor of marine transportation at California State University Maritime Academy and says it’s possible a ship dragged its anchor along the sea bottom if it wasn’t properly set, snagging the pipe.