A cleanup operation is underway in Worth County, Iowa, following a spill from a ruptured pipeline onto a farm near Hanlontown, on Wednesday 25 January 2017. The leak in the Magellan Midstream Partners operated pipeline was discovered at about 8.00 am local time and the supply shut off. About 530 000 litres of fuel was discharged, contaminating soil, but not reaching local waterways. The cleanup, which has started with vacuum trucks removing diesel, has been hampered by heavy snowfall and high winds. The operation will proceed with the removal of contaminated topsoil.
Cleanup operation underway in Hanlontown, Iowa, following a diesel spill on 25 January 2017. KIMT.
The pipeline reportedly dates from the 1950s, and is 30 cm in width, running 204 km from Rosemont in Minnesota to Mason City in Iowa. This is the latest in the series of incidents involving Megellan Midstream-owned pipelines; the company has had more than 40 cases brought against it for breaches of safety and environmental regulations in the last 10 years, during which time it has suffered 218 accidents spilling more than 3 150 000 litres of petroleum products.
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