More Questions Than Answers in Massive Oil Spill

As questions swirl around the 126,000-gallon oil spill in Huntington Beach, answers are less than forthcoming. While an anchor reportedly caused the pipe to split and created the massive spill, many wonder why it took so long for Amplify Energy to report the problem.

“Environmental crises with ecological impacts of this magnitude require the company to create a direct line of communication with the public. We have heard statements from leadership that help us understand how the spill is being contained but lack information that addresses the company’s responsibility and specific recovery efforts. With this level of urgency, time is not on Amplify’s side,” says Erika Schneider, a public relations scholar who specializes in strategic communication with an emphasis on crisis communication at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. “As we’ve also seen with similar crises, having pre-established relationships with community partners, authorities and environmental groups would have helped to facilitate a more efficient response. Since a formal investigation may take weeks and clean-up potentially taking years, there is still time for Amplify to transparently address their contribution to the event and how they are doing everything in their power to mitigate the damage.”

Schneider says when companies consistently emphasize operating commitments that protect the environment yet contribute to an environmental disaster, those companies face condemnation not only from environmentalists but the general public.  

“It creates a demand for information in the search for who or what is to blame, the impact and a broader conversation about pipeline regulations, as continual leaks and ruptures may illustrate a lack thereof,” she says.