Keystone Pipeline update: in-creek recovery complete

WASHINGTON COUNTY (KSNT)- Keystone Pipeline operator, TC Energy, announced Friday that they have completed the in-creek recovery of the discharged oil, stemming from a massive oil spill in Washington County last year. 

The oil spill in Kansas back in December was the largest spill in the history of the Keystone pipeline, according to federal data. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, killing or displacing wildlife and impacting nearby land.

The Canada-based energy company released its report on the Milepost 14 Incident in February, showing the initial findings of an investigation focused on the cause of the oil spill, which dumped an estimated 588,000 gallons of oil into a Kansas creek. Investigators attributed the leak to stress on the pipe and a "weld flaw."

According to the company, this latest update is a "milestone" in their cleanup efforts.

"We have completed the in-creek recovery of the discharged oil, with oversight conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This milestone reflects our crew's collaboration and innovation over the last few months, applying sophisticated recovery and water filtration techniques to support the product collection.

We continue progressing with restoration activities along the Mill Creek shoreline, and environmental monitoring is ongoing. We currently expect to be on site until Q3 2023 to complete most of these activities; however, the timing is subject to change.

In support of our commitment to sharing the causal learnings and our actions, this past week, TC Energy participated in a technical briefing facilitated by the American Petroleum Institute with industry; the strong participation of technical leadership from over 80 companies and agencies underscored our shared commitment to pipeline safety."