Keystone Pipeline Shut Down After Oil Spill

By Gordon Hopkins TC Energy, the company formerly known as TransCanada Corporation, shut down the Keystone Pipeline System the evening of Wednesday, December 7, 2022, in response to a confirmed release of oil into Mill Creek near Washington, Kansas, and approximately 20 miles south of Steele City.According to a press release from TC Energy, this action was initiated at about 8 p.m., “after alarms and a detected pressure drop in the system. The affected segment has been isolated, and booms deployed to control downstream migration of the release. The system remains shutdown as our crews actively respond and work to contain and recover the oil.”The 2,687-mile Keystone Pipeline System transports up to 622,000 barrels of crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. The Steele City facility is a key junction for the pipeline. It is unknown as of press time how long the pipeline will need to remain shut down.At this time the leak is estimated to be over 14,000 barrels.The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is currently investigating the leak.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has dispatched two on-scene coordinators (OSCs) to the scene of the reported discharge. State and local responders, including emergency crews from the Washington County, Kansas, Emergency Management team, are also on-scene.The EPA issued a statement, “At this time, there are no known impacts to drinking water wells or the public. Surface water of Mill Creek has been impacted. EPA OSCs will oversee TC Energy’s response operations to ensure proper cleanup and evaluate the cause of the incident.”“We are proceeding to make appropriate notifications, including to our customers and regulators and will work cooperatively with third parties to effectively respond to this incident,” TC Energy notes in the release. “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”

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