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by Angela Price
Hopkins County- At approximately 1844 hours on October 3, 2019, the Hopkins County Fire Department was dispatched in the area of County Road 1130 in Miller Grove for a six inch rupture in a pipeline that occurred after diesel was pushed through the pipeline after a two month maintenance program. While the diesel was being pushed the pipeline burst causing the diesel to run into the nearby waterway. The pipeline was shut down and mitigation was started to contain the diesel. The creek bed was dry and contained before getting into any other water way.
The State of Texas State Operations Center (SOC) was notified of the initial report of a petroleum pipeline incident. An estimated 8,000 barrels (8,042 gallons) of petroleum was released into Turkey Creek before the leak could be stopped. A remediation company was contracted to place a boom to prevent the spill from traveling downstream. Local community volunteers under the direction of the Hopkins County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) built a temporary earthen barrier in the event the boom is insufficient. Cleanup of approximately 1.25 miles of Turkey Creek is underway along with active air monitoring, however the terrain, vegetation and darkness is impacting the speed of remediation operations.
The Office of Emergency Management will remain on scene till all the product is removed and the cleanup of the area is completed.
Responding agencies: Hopkins County Precinct 1, Hopkins County Fire Department (FD), Hopkins County OEM, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). (DC 22 Sherman) DDC 5 Mt. Pleasant.