By BP Plc announced on Tuesday that a spill of approximately 8,400 gallons of gasoline from its River Rouge pipeline in southern Michigan has been successfully stopped and contained.
The River Rouge pipeline, measuring 10 inches in diameter, is crucial for transporting refined products such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from BP’s Whiting refinery in Indiana to product terminals located in River Rouge, Michigan. According to BP’s annual filing, the pipeline carried an average daily throughput of around 69,000 b/d in 2020.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the initial release, while efforts are focused on remediating the affected area and restoring the pipeline to service safely and expeditiously.
BP is prioritizing the removal of contaminated soil, and as a precautionary measure, vacuum trucks will remain on-site.
Cesar Rodriguez, spokesperson for BP, refrained from commenting on any potential operational implications associated with the spill.
Approximately six homes near the spill site in Girard Township, located in Branch County, Michigan, were temporarily evacuated. Bud Norman, the county’s emergency management director, reported that around 3,000 gallons of gasoline have been recovered as of Wednesday.
Reporting by Frank Tang
Comments