Oil Spill Contained in Galveston Bay Town

Tracy Beard

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A small leak was discovered in an underground pipeline on Tuesday, October 24th about 350 feet from the Bayport Ship Channel. Even though it was only the size of a pinhole, it had spilled about 3,000 gallons of crude oil in the Galveston Bay town of Shoreacres.

The leak was discovered when a cat came back to the owner covered in oil. According to Randy French, Shoreacres Police Chief, oil bubbled above the ground but was later contained within a 25-foot square-yard area. The line was shut down on Wednesday and depressurized allowing the owner of the 12-inch pipeline, Davis Petroleum, to plug the hole and build a containment dam around the spill. No homes were affected. Police Chief Randy French said the leak was no longer a risk to the waterway. However, one resident said she feared that expected rains might cause runoff into the waterway and contaminate the groundwater.