Lakehead Pipeline Company; Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Grand Rapids, Minnesota | 1991-Mar-03

Initial Notification: On March 3, 1991, a pipeline owned by the Lakehead Pipeline Company, Inc. in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, ruptured and spilled over 40,000 barrels of crude oil into the surrounding area. A resident in the area noticed the smell of oil and alerted the local fire department. The initial estimates by the company placed the size of the spill at 15,000 barrels. After rechecking volume figures, the company revised its estimate to 40,000 barrels. The spill occurred approximately two miles north of Grand Rapids. Following the initial notification, the company shut off the valve to the pipeline. Approximately 300 people living in homes near the site were evacuated for safety, but were allowed to return to their homes later in the night. It was almost an hour after they had been notified before the company shut the pipeline down. It is believed that this delay caused a significant increase in the size of the spill. Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region V, the Minnesota Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were on-scene and involved in the response. USCG district 9. Keyword: Vacuum truck, boom, skimmer..