Biggest Spill in Keystone’s History Dumps Oil into Kansas Creek:

The Keystone pipeline spill raised questions
for environmentalists and safety advocates about whether Calgary-based
pipeliner TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has
allowed the pressure inside parts of the system—including the stretch
through Kansas—to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels, The
Associated Press reports.

The spill in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington
County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometres) northwest of Kansas
City, also was the biggest in Keystone’s history, according to citing
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) data. TC Energy said the
pipeline lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons.

As of Sunday afternoon, the cause of the spill was still unknown, Reuters says.

Environmentalists
said the heavier tar sands oil is not only more toxic than lighter
crude but can sink in water instead of floating on top. Bill Caram,
executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, said cleanup
can sometimes include scrubbing individual rocks in a creek bed.

“This
is going to be months, maybe even years before we get the full handle
on this disaster and know the extent of the damage and get it all
cleaned up,” said Zack Pistora, a Kansas state house lobbyist for the
U.S. Sierra Club.