Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Atwater oil spill: A year later, a new law and a business still closed
Listen
• 0:51
The Plains All American oil pipeline that released 10,000 gallons of crude oil on May 14, 2014 has been cleaned up a year later. But the owner of The Gentlemen's Club next door says his nude entertainment business has been shut down since the spill
(
Sharon McNary/KPCC
)
Plains All American Pipeline, the same company that operates the pipe that polluted a Santa Barbara County beach last week, was also responsible for a spill in Atwater Village one year ago.
The mess has long since been cleaned up, but a couple of things have changed since the early morning hours of May 14, 2014, when oil gushed out of control.
The crude flooded a nude entertainment venue next door called The Gentlemen's Club. The business hasn't re-opened since, with the loss of some 50 jobs and tax revenues to the city, said owner Michael King Khorsandi.
Khorsandi declined to speak in detail about the extent of damage to his club in the commercial strip of San Fernando Road. He said he feared he might jeopardize a settlement he hopes to reach with Plains All American.
Support for LAist comes from
Plains did not immediately respond to questions about the Atwater spill or Khorsandi's business.
Quick action by the Fire Department blocked the oil from getting into the nearby Los Angeles River and harming birds and wildlife, said Liz Crosson, executive director of L.A. Waterkeeper, a nonprofit group that advocates for the health of coastal and inland waterways in L.A. County.
But environmentalists used the Atwater spill and other incidents to encourage lawmakers to pass a new state law, SB 861, which lets the fund for coastal oil cleanups be used for future inland spills like Atwater's.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzOTZweCIgd2lkdGg9IjY0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist