Nature preserve oil leak estimation now doubled

Initial estimates concerning the oil leak that has affected a nature preserve in Ohio, US, could have been too low. Federal Environmental officials have now suggested that over 20,000 gallons of crude oil has leaked from the broken pipe running under the nature preserve, double what was previously thought. This means that cleanup operations, which were already considered to be difficult, could take much longer.  

The leak was originally noticed at the start of last week (March 17th), when residents in the area reported a strong petrol smell. It was thought that the underground pipeline had broken a few days before the issue was discovered, allowing crude oil to seep through the earth of the nature reserve. 

Crews have been onsite as part of the clean up, which has involved the excavation of affected soil. The majority of the oil has leaked into a marsh area, measuring around an acre, and an intermittent stream; possibly resulting in water contamination. 

The cleanup will now start looking at the removal of any oil that is found under the creek and the marsh area. Continued monitoring will be needed to ensure that soil and air quality do not affect the 374-acre preserve.

According to Sunoco Logistics, the owner of the pipeline, the break in the system has now been repaired and the pipe has been reopened. The 20-inch pipeline was shut down on March 18th after the source of the leak had been confirmed. 

The company said that a specially engineered clamp was used to repair the 5-inch crack in the piper, as part of a federally approved plan. Testing was also carried out to ensure that the repairs were adequate before the oil flow was turned back on. 

It is still not known what caused the damage to the pipeline that led to the leak and investigations are still taking place to determine its origin. A response team from Sunoco Logistics are onsite and is working alongside local authorities and the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.