Cleanup continues at site of 19,000-gallon Oklahoma oil spill
By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS Associated Press
LOYAL, Okla. — A Houston-based pipeline company is cleaning up a nearly 19,000 gallon oil spill in northwest Oklahoma that threatened a local water supply.
Crews from Plains All American Pipeline were at the site Tuesday in Loyal, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City.
The leak was reported Friday, but it's unclear when it started. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are monitoring the cleanup.
Corporation spokesman Matt Skinner says roughly 70 acres of farmland are affected and that the spill reached a small creek, but he says it was contained before it flowed into a second creek that flows into the Cimarron River about 16 miles (26 kilometers) away.
A spokeswoman for the pipeline company promised a statement on the spill later Tuesday.
============
LOYAL, Okla. —
The Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner has taken the lead on the cleanup efforts after thousands of gallons of oil spilled in Loyal.
Advertisement
Officials said close to 19,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from an 8-inch-wide Buffalo Pipeline. Preliminary reports show that the pipeline was corroded, which might have caused the spill.
“It’s definitely dangerous and not good for anyone,” resident Katy Huber said. “I know there is oil going down every road around here."
OCC officials say most of the impact appears to be on farmland and roads. The spill has covered 60-70 acres. The OCC were able to use booms to keep the oil out of the Cimarron River.
Plains All American owns the pipeline, and crews are on site digging near where the leak began. The company said there is no threat to drinking water, but residents in the area say they are still concerned.
“(It’s) never fun to see oil like that get out into the environment, and it definitely affects all of us,” Huber said.
OCC officials do not know how much longer they’ll be cleaning. Plains All American will conduct integrity testing before the pipeline can be restarted.