About 2,500 barrels (100,000 gallons) of crude oil leaked from underground piping at Enbridge Energy's terminal January 24 in Superior WI. At least 450 barrels of the product spilled into the Nemadji River nearby, according to Enbridge information.
The incident occurred as oil was moved from a pipeline into a storage tank, said Mark Sitek, the Superior region general manager. It was reported to the Coast Guard's National Response Center, which notified other federal and state response agencies, including the federal Office of Pipeline Safety. Additionally, the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Duluth MN immediately activated the unit's incident command system and dispatched pollution investigators to the leak site.
Most of the oil was contained within the terminal ditching and retention pond system.