Posted by
alfredlester on Sunday, September 12, 2010 2:06:50 AM
HOUSTON (Reuters) – A massive oil leak in Romeoville, Illinois, from Enbridge Inc&&9;s Line 6A pipeline has been stopped, a company spokesman said on Friday afternoon.
"The leaking has stopped," said Enbridge spokesman Larry Springer in a telephone interview.
Enbridge had no estimate as of Friday when the pipeline that supplies crude oil to four refineries would return to service.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the spill had been contained.
Oil remaining in the pipeline will be pumped into a retention pond and then taken by trucks to storage tanks at the Citgo Petroleum Corp refinery in Lemont, Illinois.
The oil will not be processed at the refinery, only stored there, Springer said.
Crews working at the scene of the leak have exposed enough of the buried pipe to begin removing oil, he said.
The leak is in an industrial park near the Des Plaines River, located about 30 miles west of downtown Chicago payday loan lenders.
The cause of the leak, discovered on Thursday, has not been determined and crews will have to remove more earth over the pipe to see the leak and repair it.
"We have not zeroed in on a cause," Springer said.
Maggie Carson, Illinois EPA spokeswoman, said Enbridge would have to remove all the leaked oil, as well as oil remaining in the pipeline before it can do further excavation.
At the time the leak was discovered, the pipeline was transporting crude at the rate of about 459,000 barrels per day.
Remediation of the site may depend on how long the leak has been taking place, Carson said.
"One hopes it hasn&&9;t been going on for too long or has gone too deep," she said.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Enbridge says Line 6A pipeline leak stopped