CURTISS,
Wis. (AP) - A pipeline rupture that leaked thousands of gallons of
crude oil across a frozen field caused little environmental damage, yet
it re-energized a group that already has gone to court trying to block
a new pipeline planned for the same route through Wisconsin.
The
state Department of Natural Resources has approved construction permits
for Houston-based Enbridge Energy Co. to install the 321-mile crude oil
pipeline.
But Midwest Environmental Advocates of Madison sued the
DNR two weeks ago, claiming it didn't perform a thorough environmental
impact study before granting approval.
"Our main concern is, what
causes these ruptures?" said Brent Denzin, an attorney for the group.
"And what if it happens in one of the 68 miles of wetlands this (new)
pipeline will run through? What then?"
Officials
are investigating what caused Monday's rupture that leaked crude oil
onto half an acre of a 30-acre plot of farmland near Curtiss in central
Wisconsin's Clark County.
The oil leaked from a 4-foot crack in a
length of pipe that has been removed and sent for analysis, said
Enbridge Energy spokeswoman Denise Hamsher.
About 52,500 gallons
- or 1,250 barrels - of crude oil spilled, much of it recovered by
workers after it pooled in drainage ditches, Hamsher said. Cleanup
crews worked around the clock after the spill and expected to finish
Thursday night, she added.
But even if Enbridge cleaned up the leakage quickly, that doesn't excuse its track record of spills, Denzin said.
According
to the company's 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report posted on its Web
site, Enbridge averaged 53 spills per year between 2001 and 2005,
accounting for a total spillage of about 2.5 million gallons of crude
oil.
"The DNR said they didn't think the new pipeline would have
a significant impact (on the environment)," Denzin said. "But with
those types of failures in the past, we simply couldn't buy the fact it
wasn't significant."
Dave Siebert, the director of the DNR's
Office of Energy, said the DNR felt comfortable with the quality of its
six-month environmental assessment effort prior to granting Enbridge's
permit.
Hamsher said the recent spill may raise issues about
pipeline safety, but it also shows how effective Enbridge's
spill-control measures are.
"The system detected the spill
immediately and shut down, the crews were down there right away and we
avoided any environmental impact," she said.
The company
transports 1.5 million barrels of crude oil - or 63 million gallons - a
day through its pipeline network in the Upper Midwest, according to
Hamsher.
The farmer on whose land the spill occurred said
Enbridge did an "excellent" job of containing the spill and cleaning up
promptly. Dean Jarvis, 54, said the company will replace any
contaminated soil but he wasn't sure whether he'd be given additional
compensation.
"In my opinion, they don't have to. If they do, fine," Jarvis said.
Published: January 5, 2007
