Petroleum oil leak in East Los Angeles causes road closures

A petroleum oil leak in East Los Angeles has prompted road closures on Friday morning.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said someone called around 3:20 a.m., saying they were doing drilling work near Cesar Chavez Avenue when they struck a petroleum line.

Oil quickly began rushing into the street. Another crew working nearby, installing a fiber optic cable, 10 feet underground, also noticed the oil seeping in from the sidewalk.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert between Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenue. The closer is expected to remain for several hours.

Plains West Coast Pipeline, the owner of the pipe, says its crews responded to the scene after one of its underground lines was allegedly struck by an unaffiliated contractor.

"Our current priorities are to ensure the safety of first responders, the public and personnel on-site and minimize any impacts to the environment," the company said.  "We will continue to work closely with the appropriate regulatory agencies as we respond to this incident."