Around 64 000 liters of crude oil is believed to have leaked from a pipeline near the city of Smithville in Bastrop County, Texas, about 65 km east of Austin, that was discovered on Tuesday 29 October 2013. The oil is thought to have originated from a 20 cm pipeline operated by Koch Pipeline Co., which supplies oil to refineries in Corpus Christi, though the leak itself has not yet been located. An area of about 2000 m² is thought to have been contaminated, including a stock pond and two small overflow reservoirs (which do not supply water for public consumption).
Cleanup efforts near Smithville, Texas, on Tuesday 29 October 2013. KVUE.
The spill has been contained by workers from SWS Environmental, who specialize in the sort of incident. An investigation into the cause of the leak is ongoing.
The approximate location of the Smithville oil leak. Google Maps.
See also Oil spill on the Oklahoma River, Fuel pipeline explodes in western Illinois, Explosion at oil facility in Louisiana, Plains Midstream Canada charged over April 2011 Alberta oil spill and Homes evacuated after Arkansas oil leak.
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