Oil Spill In Rural Kansas

By Gordon HopkinsThe leak from the Keystone Pipeline System that dumped an estimated 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons, of crude oil into Mill Creek and the surrounding area near Washington, Kansas, is the largest in Keystone’s history, according to federal data. The United States Government Accountability Office issued a report in 2021 that states there have been 22 spills form the Keystone System since 2010. The total of oil spilled from all those prior spills combined is less than 12,000 barrels.Initial Reports The morning of Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, a number of residents of the Washington, Kansas area, woke to the smell of what some people thought was a gas leak. The smell has been reported as far away as Marysville, Kansas. 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 shut down as our crews actively respond and work to contain and recover the oil.”TC Energy recorded a pressure drop in a 36-inch crude oil pipeline near Washington. The pressure drop was documented at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. The pressure drop was confirmed to be from a line rupture south of Mill Creek. At the time of rupture, the pipeline was under pressure (700-900 PSI-pounds per square inch).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.Restricted Area The site of the spill remains off-limits to the public. A number of early news reports featured photos and video taken from a drone flying over the site. Since that time, airspace over the site has been restricted, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The restriction is scheduled to end Monday, December 19, 2022, at 6:01 p.m. Randy Hubbard, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Washington, Kansas, noted on Facebook, “As you can imagine, TC Energy has shown up in full force with literally hundreds of workers, equipment, and support staff. I can assure you that TC Energy has been nothing but professional and eager to remedy the situation as quickly, and safely as possible. Traffic has been heavy on B street to 20th road, on to the spill site. Security check points are in place to keep people out that do not need to be in the area. The people that have shown up to help have come from all over the United States and Canada. They will be in our community for the duration, patronizing our grocery stores, convenient stores, hotels, laundry mats, parts stores, and more. Please show them a little grace as I can assure you they want to have this wrapped up and headed back home as soon as possible. They are here to do a job.”Investigation and Cleanup The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is currently investigating the leak.“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 noted in the press 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.”It is unknown as of press time how long the pipeline will need to remain shut down. TC Energy issued a follow-up statement that said, in part, “The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains isolated and downstream migration of the release is contained. Plans for return-to-service continue to be evaluated.” TC Energy said, “At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements. Over the last several years, we have taken decisive action to implement measures to strengthen our approach to safety and the integrity of our system and will conduct a full investigation into the root cause of this incident, in cooperation with regulators.”TC Energy has built an earthen underflow dam on Mill Creek, approximately four miles downstream of the rupture location, to prevent further migration of the oil. This underflow dam includes one pipe that allows water to pass through while preventing further migration of oil. An additional boom was deployed and the underflow dam was shored up to withstand anticipated precipitation.According to TC Energy, cleanup crews consist of a dedicated workforce exceeding 250 personnel, including third-party environmental specialists, along with multiple vacuum trucks, booms, and other equipment to recover the oil. Environmental ImpactThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also on the scene to assist with oil recovery efforts. The EPA reported the leak resulted in wide-spread vegetation staining.The EPA noted that no drinking water wells have been effected. However, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a stream advisory warning residents to not enter the creek and keep livestock, pets, and children out of the creek.Hubbard said. “Around-the-clock air-quality checks and other environmental monitoring is continually taking place.”

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