Cleanup underway in Kansas following oil Keystone pipeline rupture

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Cleanup efforts were underway Saturday following a rupture of the Keystone XL Pipeline that spilled nearly 600,000 gallons of crude oil into an area of northern Kansas.

Officials estimated 14,000 barrels of oil were released into Mill Creek, a waterway located 3 miles east of Washington, Kansas, and about 170 miles northwest of Kansas City along the Kansas-Nebraska border.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday no drinking water has been affected by the rupture on late Wednesday -- the largest in the pipeline's history. The agency is providing oversight and containment while the cleanup operations being performed by the pipeline's Canadian owner, TC Energy, based in Vancouver.

The oil discharge into empty pasture land in Mill Creek did not impact the Little Blue River or local drinking water wells, and limited potential impacts to surrounding farmlands, the EPA said in one of several situation updates issued Friday.

TC Energy initiated a shutdown around 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday after a drop in pressure was detected.

About three miles of surface water in Mill Creek was impacted and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a stream advisory warning residents to not enter the creek and keep livestock, pets, and children out of the waterway.

The leak in the 12-year-old crude oil pipeline is bigger than initial estimates. The amount of oil spilled is larger than from 22 previous leaks combined, EPA officials said. The 14,000 barrels equates to approximately 588,000 gallons.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective order on Thursday, requiring TC Energy to determine the root cause of the oil spill, review 10 years of inspections and create a remedial work plan that assesses future risks along the remainder of the line.

The 2,687-mile hazardous liquid pipeline system runs between Hardisty, Alberta, and Patoka, Ill., and Port Arthur, Texas, bringing Canadian crude oil to American refineries.

The damaged section of the pipeline remained shut down Saturday and may "not be operated" until authorized by the EPA, the agency said.

As of Friday afternoon, TC Energy said it was increasing the number of its personnel on the ground to around 100 people, including "multiple vacuum trucks" and booms to help recover the crude oil.

The company has also set up continuous air quality monitoring systems.