Cleanup continues from oil pipeline break

Wheeler News Service,
Published Thursday, January 04, 2007

The owner of a crude oil pipeline now says 52,500 gallons spilled after the line developed a 4-foot crack near Curtiss in Clark County.

It’s about 30,000 gallons more than Enbridge Energy of Houston first reported Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Denise Hamsher said most of the oil has been recovered, but the state Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says some of it is still penetrated an inch into the ground.

The oil spread across a half-acre of farmland, but Dave Weitz, DNR spokesman, said the environmental damage is only marginal.

Hamsher said the broken line was replaced, and it went back into operation Wednesday night.

The break occurred on Tuesday, and Enbridge is still trying to figure out why. The pipeline, and one right next to it, has been carrying crude oil from Canada to refineries near Chicago since 1998.

Enbridge recently got state approval to build a third pipeline from Superior to Delavan, but an environmental group filed suit last month to try and stop the project.

The Midwest Environmental Advocates say the DNR was not thorough enough with its review of the project before approving it. A hearing on the lawsuit has not been set.