Land affected by Keystone pipeline leak bigger than thought

This Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019 photo provided by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality shows affected land from a Keystone oil pipeline leak near Edinburg, North Dakota. Regulators said TC Energy’s Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons of oil in northeastern North Dakota, though the cause was still under investigation. (North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality/Taylor DeVries)

by: The Associated Press

Posted: Nov 18, 2019 / 01:13 PM CST

Updated: Nov 18, 2019 / 01:13 PM CST

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – An oil spill from the Keystone pipeline in eastern North Dakota has affected almost 10 times the amount of land as first reported.

State environmental scientist Bill Suess said Monday the leak reported on Oct. 29 is now estimated to have affected about 209,100 square feet of land near Edinburg.

State regulators had said the leak affected about 22,500 square feet of land.

TC Energy reported the pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons of oil. Suess says that estimate has not changed.

Suess says cleanup continues and about 337,550 gallons of oil has been recovered.

The pipeline restarted on Nov. 9 after approval by federal regulators.

The cause of the leak has not been determined.