NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Officials are cleaning up a massive oil spill from a multistate pipeline that ruptured in rural Tennessee.
According to the state Department of Environment and Conservation, approximately 201,600 gallons of crude oil spilled from the pipeline on June 29 and entered Horse Creek in Henderson, some 88 miles northeast of Memphis.
The department says the spill was "secured" on June 30. There are no surface drinking water intakes in the community, there were no impacts to nearby drinking water wells reported; no water contact advisories issued so far; and no fish kills observed to date, officials said.
It was the second-largest recorded crude oil spill in the state, advocacy group Pipeline Safety Trust said in a statement.
The spill occurred when a mowing contractor struck the Mid-Valley Pipeline Company's pipeline, officials said. The cleanup response is being led by the pipeline's parent company, Energy Transfer, with help from the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies.
The line was repaired and safely returned to service, Energy Transfer said in a statement. Specialized crews remained at the scene Wednesday as the company concludes the recovery process, the statement said.
State officials said they have asked for weekly monitoring of water quality near the spill.
