Enbridge Energy fined $2.4M fine for NE Minn. oil blast
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
The federal Department of Transportation has fined Enbridge Energy $2.4 million for a pipeline explosion and fire that killed two workers in northwestern Minnesota in 2007.
U.S. Rep. James Oberstar announced the fine Tuesday. A federal investigation finished in 2008 found Enbridge committed eight probable violations prior to the accident near Clearbrook, Minn., that killed two welders from Superior, Wis.
A spokesman for Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The company had previously said the federal findings were consistent with its own internal investigation of what happened.
The company determined the blast happened after oil mist escaped from a coupling on the new section of pipeline and was ignited by a heater. The accident also caused $2 million property damage and caused world oil prices to spike.
An Enbridge pipeline is responsible for a massive oil spill in a Michigan river which occurred last month. The leaking pipeline spilled between 820,000 and 1 million gallons of oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River on July 26.
The pipeline runs from Griffith, Ind. to Sarnia, Ontario.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Dear reader,
Political debates with family or friends can get heated. But what if there was a way to handle them better?
You can learn how to have civil political conversations with our new e-book!
Download our free e-book, Talking Sense: Have Hard Political Conversations, Better, and learn how to talk without the tension.
