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Exxon says residents returning to Mayflower

MAYFLOWER, Ark., July 1 (UPI) -- Exxon Mobil said more residents in Mayflower, Ark., have returned to their homes more than three months after a spill from its Pegasus oil pipeline.

About 5,000 barrels of a diluted form of heavy Canadian crude oil spilled from a 22-foot rupture in the Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower, Ark. Operator ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. said in a newsletter to Mayflower residents more people were returning to their homes as clean-up operations make progress.

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At least 22 homes were evacuated because of the March 29 spill.

"Thirteen homes in the Northwoods subdivision have completed the re-entry process," the company said in a Friday newsletter. "Some residents have begun returning home and others are in various stages of the re-entry process."

Last month, the U.S. government filed action with the state government against the company in a federal district court in Little Rock, Ark for federal and state environmental violations.

Exxon said it opened a community outreach office in Mayflower to address ongoing concerns. The company said it would remain in Mayflower until the remediation process is completed.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

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