Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on Chevron’s oil spill outside Bakersfield:

            “I’m extremely concerned by Chevron’s huge oil spill outside Bakersfield and that it remained unknown to the public for two months.

            “The company states that most of the spill has been recovered, but that still leaves oil and contaminated water in the soil and surrounding environment. The full toll to the area is not yet known, although we’re lucky the spill didn’t take place during a rainy period or the effects on our environment and wildlife would have been even more tragic.

            “Almost as troubling as the spill itself is that it occurred at multiple times for two months, but we just learned about it. Media reports say there have been at least three significant spills at this site since May. This is something the public should have been alerted to earlier. Proper oversight can’t occur if incidents like these are kept under wraps.

            “The company and the state need to ensure that this spill is contained and cleaned up as quickly as possible and that another spill doesn’t occur.”