ENERGY

Oil Spill Charges Filed Too Late, Judge Rules: Allegations that Unocal Corp. covered up spills at its Guadalupe oil field cannot be pursued because prosecutors missed the statute of limitations by two days, San Luis Obispo County Municipal Judge James D. Ream said. However, he said there was “substantial evidence” that “Unocal and its employees actively engaged in a course of conduct which included not only failing to disclose the leaks, but (taking) steps to prevent the leaks from coming to the attention of the public.” Prosecutors filed 28 misdemeanor charges alleging that Unocal and six employees failed to report more than 100 leaks since 1985. Los Angeles-based Unocal says it alerted authorities immediately after the problem was discovered in February, 1990.