Colonial Pipeline Co. violated NC law in massive gasoline spill, state says
Colonial Pipeline Co. violated North Carolina law when a massive amount of gasoline spilled from an underground pipe near Huntersville, the state’s top environmental regulator said Friday.
“We will continue to hold Colonial Pipeline accountable for harm to North Carolina’s natural resources,” Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, said in announcing a notice of violation against the company.
“This is one of the largest gasoline spills the state has ever had,” Regan said. “Cleanup will take time, and we will be there every step of the way to ensure Colonial Pipeline protects public health and the environment during their remediation efforts.”
Regan said 273,000 gallons of gasoline spilled Aug. 14, releasing amounts of benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene and possibly other petroleum chemicals that exceeded groundwater quality standards.
Regan’s department ordered the company to restore groundwater quality to state standards and submit detailed monthly reports on everything from the results of soil, surface water and well water sampling to its excavation and disposal of contaminated soil.
The company must submit a comprehensive site assessment report to regulators by Jan. 20.
The department could assess financial penalties if Colonial misses deadlines and other requirements under the notice but did not say how much of a fine could be assessed.
In a statement posted on its website Friday, Colonial Pipeline Co. said: “While we are still evaluating the notice, Colonial remains committed to working in cooperation with the NCDEQ and responding to the release consistent with all regulatory requirements.”
The company said it has completed five rounds of water well sampling for homes within a 1,500-foot radius of the spill and has found no petroleum in well water.
In a Sept. 13 statement about the spill, Colonial said it “remains committed to the Huntersville community and the health and safety of its residents and the environment. We value the relationships that we have built here over 50+ years, and we want to continue to build on that foundation as we move forward.”
The company said it has been “steadfast in our incident response priorities – the safety of people, environmental protection, respect for community assets, and communication.”
The spill occurred in Mecklenburg County’s Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville’s town limits, state officials said. The pipeline has been repaired, and the state Department of Environmental Quality continues to oversee the cleanup.
Officials said 34 recovery wells and 51 groundwater monitoring wells have been installed, and that Colonial estimates recovering 96,557 gallons of gasoline so far.
The spill was four times worse than the company originally estimated, N.C. Sen. Natasha Marcus said on Sept. 14, citing a revised report from the company.
Colonial said on its website that it shut down the pipeline “in a matter of minutes and crews were dispatched to the site. The pipeline was repaired as of 6 p.m. August 19.”
According to the company, Colonial pipes gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries primarily located on the Gulf Coast, with customers throughout the South and East, through more than 5,500 miles of pipeline.
The spill near Huntersville came to light when two ATV riders saw liquid on the ground and smelled gasoline, according to the company.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 2:45 PM.