In early November, federal officials discovered that an oil pipeline owned by Canadian energy company Enbridge spilled almost 70,000 gallons of crude oil into the ground in Wisconsin's Jefferson County. The pipeline was "likely leaking for [an] extended period of time," according to an accident report.
What happened?
An Enbridge technician first noticed the spill on Nov. 11 in the small town of Oakland while performing a standard inspection, per the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration accident report.
The massive oil leak occurred on Line 6, which is nearly 60 years old, and officials immediately shut down the pumping station to contain the spill. Responders excavated the contaminated soil, repaired the damaged pipeline, and reopened the station for normal operations.
In a statement, Enbridge said the spill happened because of a malfunctioning connection on a pump transfer pipe, per the Journal Sentinel. According to the accident report, an estimated 69,300 gallons, or roughly 1,650 barrels, were discharged underground, marking the worst spill in Wisconsin in the company's history.
Enbridge estimated that around 60% of the contaminated soil had been removed as of mid-December.
"We are working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as cleanup and restoration proceed," the statement said.
Why is the oil spill concerning?
While the spill was relatively small compared to others — such as BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 — any amount of oil that leaks into the environment poses risks to people, wildlife, and ecosystems. For example, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained, oil spills can negatively affect local economies and recreational activities, injure animals, and lead to habitat losses.
Even though Enbridge immediately reported the spill and took action to clean it up, it's unknown if all the oil was recoverable. If any remains in the environment, it could leach into groundwater or enter waterways as runoff, per the Oil Spill Prevention and Response website.
Furthermore, this wasn't the first time Line 6 has had a major rupture. Oil & Water Don't Mix reported that a six-foot break in Line 6B sent more than 843,000 gallons of tar-sands crude oil into the Kalamazoo River watershed near Marshall, Michigan, in 2010. The incident is considered one of the largest, costliest inland oil spills in U.S. history.
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What's being done to prevent future oil spills?
According to the Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin-based nonprofit Midwest Environmental Advocates has urged Enbridge to discontinue plans to reroute Line 5, which crosses through Wisconsin and Michigan. The organization's executive director, Tony Wilkin Gibart, argued the recent leak from Line 6 proves Enbridge's pipelines are in need of repair and pose a serious environmental risk.
"The harm this pipeline would cause to Wisconsin's waters and the climate is guaranteed to be significant and could be catastrophic," he said in a statement, per the Journal Sentinel.
The Department of Justice sided with the Bad River Band — a Native American tribe in Wisconsin — in a lawsuit against Enbridge regarding Line 5. While the line will no longer run through the reservation, it isn't being shut down, so there's still a risk of the pipeline rupturing and polluting the surrounding land.
However, using your voice to fight for a cleaner, greener future by talking to loved ones or voting for pro-climate candidates can raise awareness about why oil is harmful to the planet.
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