“Powerhouse plaintiffs’ firms Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein and Robertson & Associates LLP teamed up to file the class action on behalf of a proposed class of commercial fisheries, marine charters and property owners.” — California Daily Journal, October 13, 2021
On Saturday October 2nd, 2021, a failure occurred in a pipeline running from the Port of Long Beach to an offshore oil platform known as Elly, owned by Amplify Energy and operated by Beta Operating Company. The failure caused what is now estimated to be 144,000 gallons of oil to gush into the Catalina Channel, creating a slick that spans over 8,000 acres. The spill has left oil along long stretches of beach in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach, killing fish and birds and threatening ecologically sensitive wetlands in what officials are calling an environmental disaster. Commercial fishing off this part of the coast is now closed, severely affecting fishers and fish processors throughout the region. Homeowners with beachfront properties or easements are also impacted, as are city beaches.
$50 MILLION SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATED WITH AMPLIFY ENERGY FOR CLASS MEMBERS
On October 17, 2022, Interim Class Counsel filed a motion for approval of a settlement class on behalf of a Commercial Fisher class, Property Class and Waterfront Tourism Class totaling $50,000,000 to be paid by Defendants Amplify Energy Corp. Beta Operating Company, LLC and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company. If approved by the federal court, the Fisher Class will receive $34,000,000, the Property Class will receive $9,000,000 and the Waterfront Tourism Class will receive $7,000,000. Additionally, the settlement includes substantial injunctive relief to improve the detection and reporting requirements of any future oil spills from the Defendant’s undersea pipeline. Further, if the settlement is approved by the court, the case will proceed against the ship owners, whose anchors are alleged to have dragged across and damaged the pipeline causing the oil spill. Alexander Robertson, IV is counsel of record for both Commercial Fisher and Waterfront Tourism Class Representatives. A copy of the settlement agreement is available here:
$45 MILLION SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATED WITH SHIP OWNERS FOR CLASS MEMBERS
On February 9, 2023 an additional settlement payment of $45 million was announced to be paid by the shipping companies which own two cargo ships, MV Beijing and MSC Danit, to the Commercial Fisher Class, Tourism Class and Property Class, bringing the total settlement to $95 million. The lawsuit alleged that the two cargo ships dragged their anchors across the pipeline, causing it to rupture. The Court still must give final approval of this second settlement, which is expected to happen in the Spring of 2023.
