Pipeline Company’s $70 Million Spill Settlement Gets Early Nod

A $70 million class action settlement between California property owners and the company that acquired a pipeline that ruptured in 2015 received preliminary approval from a federal judge.

Landowners—both companies and individuals—asserted that the pipeline wasn’t properly maintained, leading to the release of hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil onto properties, public recreation areas, and the Pacific Ocean. An investigation by the Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration concluded a failure to timely detect and respond to the rupture contributed to the spill.

Judge Philip S. Gutierrez, of the US District Court for the Central ...