Two pipeline companies, Mid-America Pipeline Company LLC (MAPCO) and Enterprise Products Operating LLC, have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,042,000 to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to three natural gasoline pipeline spills in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.
The settlement resolves Clean Water Act violations related to three spills that occurred along the 2,769-mile West Red Pipeline, which transports mixed natural gasoline products between Conway, Kan., and Pine Bend, Minn. The spills occurred on March 29, 2007, near Yutan, Neb., on April 23, 2010, near Niles, Kan., and on Aug. 13, 2011, near Onawa, Iowa.
The March 29, 2007, rupture near Yutan, Neb., caused the discharge of approximately 1,669 barrels of natural gasoline directly into an unnamed ditch and Otoe Creek. The April 23, 2010, rupture near Niles, Kan., caused the discharge of approximately 1,760 barrels of natural gasoline directly into an unnamed ditch, Cole Creek, Buckeye Creek, and the Solomon River. The Aug. 13, 2011, rupture near Onawa, Iowa, caused the discharge of approximately 818 barrels of natural gasoline directly into the Missouri River.
“Pipeline ruptures and resulting spills can cause significant harm to the environment, so it is essential that pipeline owners and operators abide by federal laws intended to protect our land and waters,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement will put into place important measures to prevent future spills and identify potential safety threats along MAPCO’s West Red Pipeline.”
The consent decree requires the companies to undertake various measures aimed at reducing external threats to their pipeline, enhance their reporting of spills, and spend at least $200,000 to identify and prevent external threats to the pipeline involved in the spills. The companies must also spend $200,000 to relocate, cover, lower or replace pipeline segments; install new remote shutoff valves; install new physical protections such as fences or concrete barriers; and install other new equipment, structures or systems to prevent spills from reaching navigable waters.
The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Environmental Protection Agency’s web site at www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/cwa/cwaenfstatreq.html. Learn more about EPA’s enforcement of the Clean Water Act at www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/cwa/cwaenfstatreq.html.
U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg said, “This settlement requires proactive vigilance to ensure that our soil and waterways are protected from contaminants. The agreement will result in safer pipeline operations and that will be good for Nebraska’s environment.”
Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Karl Brooks added, “More than 20,000 miles of pipeline, carrying oil and petroleum products, cross the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in EPA’s Region 7. A frequent cause of pipeline breaks is the action of third parties during farming and excavation. This settlement requires the defendants to honor a schedule of pipeline inspections on the ground and from the air, and reach out to local agencies, contractors, and excavators to make sure they are more fully aware of pipeline locations and depths.”
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