Greka Spills 168 Gallons of Crude

Consistent with a miserable record of keeping its crude contained, Greka Oil and Gas, Inc. spilled four barrels — or 168 gallons — of oil yesterday, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

At around 11 p.m., firefighters responded to the spill site located at 6605 Palmer Road in Santa Maria. Plant personnel said an injection pump failure was to blame for the incident; the spill, they said, was inside secondary containment.

Captain David Sadecki with County Fire reported that a vacuum truck has been on scene cleaning up the mess. No other hazards were noted, he said, and there was no threat to the surrounding environment.