GIRARD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A gasoline pipeline broke late Tuesday, forcing people from their homes and endangering wildlife overnight.
Branch County Emergency Management says it happened just before 9:45 p.m. Tuesday along Bell Rd between Girard and Vincent Roads, near the Potawatomie Recreation Area.
No campers were on-site at the time, according to Michigan State Police.
Neighbors tell us they were alerted by the sudden smell of gas permeating the area.
That smell was still present at 9 a.m. Wednesday where roads were closed starting at least a mile away from the site.
According to a spokesperson with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), around 200 barrels of fuel leaked out before the pipeline was shut down. Crews capped the line Wednesday morning. EGLE says no more gasoline will make it out of the pipe due to this leak.
Clean-up crews removed a "large amount" of the fuel, says EGLE. Recovered fuel will be shipped to a containment facility.
EGLE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are both working to monitor for potential environmental contamination. So far no surface water has been impacted. EGLE will test nearby bodies of water, sewer systems, and soil. The EPA is expected to handle air quality monitoring.
This is a heavily agricultural area spotted with lakes, woods, and wetlands south of the Potawatomie Recreation Area, north of Girard Lake, and emergency crews are working to isolate and control the spill.
BP— the multi-national petroleum company operating the pipeline told FOX 17, "BP activated its Emergency Response Team and is working closely with first responders. The safety and security of the community, the environment, our employees, and the response team are our highest priority."
Read the full statement here:
Bp Statement River Rouge Pipeline Release by Chris Bovia on Scribd
BP added that, once its alarm system went off Tuesday night, it was able to shut down the lines within just three minutes.
County first responders are working with state, local and federal agencies to stop the leak and reduce the environmental impact. They held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, which you can watch below.
Watch here:
FOX 17 learned Wednesday that some gasoline did spill into a nearby farm land, staining the soil.
Officials expect there to be some contamination there, and they're also checking if nearby drinking water wells may have been contaminated.
"Those are at the front of our thoughts and we're going to make sure that those are protected," EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator Eric Pohl told FOX 17. "We're going to make sure that, you know, that the homeowners and the residents are fully informed of what that means."
Crews were still at the site Wednesday evening doing air and water level checks. So far, results show that there are neither odors nor sheen.
