NEMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The estimated size of the mess created after a bulldozer ruptured two fuel pipelines has been reduced considerably, but the 119,028-gallon spill remains one of the worst in Nebraska.
Pipeline operator Magellan Midstream Partners cut its estimate of the spill’s size on Tuesday to less than half its original 252,000-gallon estimate. The spill that started Saturday included gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
The pipeline southwest of Nemaha has been repaired and resumed operations Monday. But the cleanup of spilled fuel will take longer because some soil will have to be replaced and a nearby creek must be cleaned up.
This incident remains the biggest pipeline spill in Nebraska since 2001. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration says the next-worst spill happened in 2007 when 72,450 gallons spilled.