Enbridge spokeswoman: Pipeline leak in Illinois not related to earlier oil spill in Michigan

Enbridge: Oil spills in Ill., Mich. not related

CHICAGO — A spokeswoman for Enbridge Energy Partners says an oil pipeline leak in a Chicago suburb doesn’t appear related to an earlier spill in Michigan.

Enbridge spokeswoman Terri Larson said the company doesn’t know what caused the leak Thursday in the pipeline in Illinois or how much damage has been done.

But she says the company doesn’t think it was related to a July rupture in a pipeline in Michigan that spilled more than 800,000 gallons of oil. That pipeline remains shut down.

Larson says Enbridge workers in Illinois are digging up that pipeline to give inspectors a chance to examine the steel pipe and get a better idea of what went wrong.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given Enbridge until noon Monday to stop the flow of oil near Romeoville.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the leak from an oil pipeline outside Chicago appears to be slowing.

EPA on-scene coordinator Sam Borries said Saturday that the oil is no longer rising to the surface and crews have cut opened pavement and dug about 5 feet to the 34-inch diameter pipe.

He says pipeline owner Enbridge Energy Partners will drill through the pipe to extract more oil.

The EPA has ordered Enbridge to stop all the flow of oil near Romeoville by noon Monday.

Borries says that as of Friday, 200 to 600 barrels of oil per hour were being recovered but it couldn’t be determined yet how much oil had spilled.

He says air quality monitors indicated there’s no health threat to residents near the site.