Crude oil pipeline bust contaminates Ohio nature preserve

Some 240 barrels of crude oil seeped from an underground pipeline and contaminated a large area in the Oak Glen Nature Preserve in Ohio. While the leak is relatively small, the cleanup process is expected to be tricky.
The 20-inches Mid-Valley Pipeline Co. pipeline probably burst at the end of last week, since local residents reported smelling petroleum at the time. The spill was discovered on Monday, after which authorities called for an inspection, local media reported.

Sunoco Logistics, which operates the pipeline, said in a statement that it estimated that 240 barrels of sweet crude oil, or 10,000 gallons, have leaked into the preserve.

The initial phase of the cleanup, in which heavy machinery and powerful vacuum cleaners would be used to recover crude and contaminated earth, will take at least a week, authorities said. The cause of the pipeline rupture is unlikely to be established before that.

According to US Department of Transportation records, the pipeline has had 39 incidents since 2006. In those incidents, more than 31,000 gallons of oil were lost. The incidents caused more than $7.5 million in damage. The worst incident happened in 2008 in Burlington, which caused $1.3 million in damage.

The operator paid a $48,700 fine in 2012 for failing to address corrosion problems.