Media Relations:
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TC Energy is actively responding to an oil incident
On December 7, 2022, TC Energy responded to a release of oil from our Keystone Pipeline System into a creek in Washington County, Kansas.
The Keystone Pipeline System is now operational to all delivery points. As always, we continue to monitor the system 24/7 as we deliver the energy that customers and North Americans rely on. The pipeline system will operate with additional risk mitigation measures, including reduced operating pressures. We maintain our commitment to our ongoing safety-led response and will fully remediate the incident site. We will share the learnings from the investigation as they become available.
Our estimated release volume is 14,000 barrels. We continue to focus on our recovery and remediation efforts. Our commitment to the community is that our response efforts will continue until we have fully remediated the site.
We immediately activated our emergency response procedures and established environmental monitoring, including around-the-clock air monitoring.
Updates
TC Energy advances remediation and community giving plans
Update: 10:00 a.m. CT – January 3, 2023
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- Activities are ongoing to temporarily divert Mills Creek from a location upstream of the pipeline spill, to downstream of the containment dams. The diversion includes the installation of water pumps and an above-ground bypass line. The diversion will assist in the clean-up and reclamation of the creek.
- To demonstrate our appreciation for the Washington County emergency responders and their rapid action and support during our initial response, we are giving $7,500 toward mobile and radio equipment. This will enhance the communication and response capabilities of the Washington County emergency responders.
- We are also pleased to share that we are expanding our community giving program to the Washington County Hospital. As of today, the public will now have the opportunity to contribute with 100 per cent matching from TC Energy’s Build Strong Program.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Map of the temporary above-ground hose bypass system in Washington County, Kansas (12-31-2022).
Active response to the Milepost 14 incident location on Dec. 30, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas. (12-31-2022).
Previous updates
Update 14 — December 29, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy safely completes controlled restart of Keystone Pipeline’s Cushing Extension
1:10 p.m. CT – December 29, 2022
After completing repairs, inspections and testing we proceeded with a controlled restart of the Cushing Extension, safely returning the Keystone Pipeline to service today. The Cushing Extension will operate under plans approved by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
The Keystone Pipeline System is now operational to all delivery points. As always, we continue to monitor the system 24/7 as we deliver the energy customers and North Americans rely on. The pipeline system will operate with additional risk-mitigation measures, including reduced operating pressures. We maintain our commitment to our ongoing safety-led response and will fully remediate the incident site. We will share the learnings from the investigation as they become available.
We appreciate the ongoing oversight and expertise of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), PHMSA and other local, state and federal agencies. Our team has been overwhelmed by the kind support of Washington County landowners and the community.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
President’s message
I want to extend my thanks to landowners, Washington County residents, Tribes, local officials, and others for their ongoing support. Our team has been overwhelmed by your generosity and kindness, including offers of meals and lodging.
After participating in the emergency response efforts and touring the affected areas, I also want to express gratitude to our dedicated teams and oversight regulatory agencies in responding to this incident and for their work around the clock, including over the holidays. As we resume operations, our focus continues to be on the safety of people, communities and the environment as we deliver the essential energy North Americans need.
We appreciate this incident is concerning for you, the community, and we share that concern. We have mobilized over 500 resources onsite. I’ve seen first-hand the care, concern and effort going into our response and recovery, which carried over into the safe and successful restart of the Cushing Extension of the pipeline. We will continue our work until we’ve cleaned up and restored the affected areas.
We recognize that incidents like this raise questions. We have questions too. We are committed to asking those tough questions, fully investigating and sharing our learnings and actions. We take our responsibility very seriously. We will not rest until we have recovered and remediated the areas affected by this incident. No incident is ever acceptable to us.
We proudly live and work in this community. To show our gratitude, we have launched a donation program to the Washington County Hospital and will continue to explore other ways to contribute to Washington County.
With sincere thanks,
Richard Prior
President, Liquids Pipelines
TC Energy
Excavated section of the Cushing Extension in Washington County, Kansas (12-29-2022).
Keystone Pipeline System Map showing restarted Cushing Extension in Washington County, Kansas (12-29-2022).
Update 13 — December 23, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy continues oil recovery and response over the holidays
10:30 a.m. CT – December 23, 2022
The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has approved our Restart Plan for the Cushing segment. We will be commencing activities to support the safe restart of the segment, including rigorous testing and inspections, and this will take several days. We will provide an update on in-service once we are able.  
Our onsite activities will continue despite adverse weather, although colder temperatures may slow efforts due to impacts on some equipment. We will continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment. We thank our crews working at site over the holidays.
We greatly appreciate our ongoing working relationship and expertise of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), PHMSA and other local, state and federal agencies. Our team has been overwhelmed by the kind support of Washington County landowners and the community. As part of our thank you to the community, we have launched an employee-funded donation program and will match 100 percent of our employee's contributions to the Washington County Hospital. We will continue to explore other ways to contribute to the community through our Build Strong program.  
Update 12 — December 21, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy progresses response and recovery effort
8:00 a.m. CT — December 21, 2022
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- As of Dec. 20, 5 p.m. CT, we have recovered an estimated 7,599 barrels of oil from the creek (15,488 barrels of oil and water).
- We safely removed the impacted pipeline segment and have sent it to an independent lab for metallurgical testing as directed by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
- Like many in the U.S., we are expecting significant winter weather impacts over the upcoming days. We continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment and will be working safely according to weather conditions. Recovery rates have the potential to slow due to the upcoming weather.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains safely isolated as investigation, recovery, repair and remediation continue to advance. This segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have regulatory approval from PHMSA.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
TC Energy crews continue to progress response and recovery efforts on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy response staging area on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
Update 11 — December 19, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy continues response and recovery effort
8:00 a.m. CT — December 19, 2022
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- As of Dec. 18, 5 p.m. CT, we have recovered an estimated 7,233 barrels of oil from the creek (13,877 barrels of oil and water). Our recovery rates have the potential to slow by the upcoming cold weather in the area.
- We have established a notification system for community members to sign-up and receive the latest updates on our recovery efforts.
- We continue to respond in Unified Command with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). EPA has released an interactive tool that shows updated data on response efforts. This will be updated daily.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains safely isolated as investigation, recovery, repair and remediation continue to advance. This segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have regulatory approval from PHMSA.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Update 10 — December 17, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy continues response and recovery effort
8:00 a.m. CT — December 17, 2022
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- As of Dec. 16, 5 p.m. CT, we have recovered 6,973 barrels of oil from the creek (10,351 barrels of oil and water).
- Our dedicated workforce of response personne
Update 9 — December 16, 2022: 8:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy progresses response and recovery effort
8:00 a.m. CT — December 16, 2022
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- As of Dec. 15, 5 p.m. CT, we have recovered 4,125 barrels of oil from the creek (7,397 barrels of oil and water).
- We continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment. We are working with wildlife assessment crews including state and federal wildlife trustees and have trained professional responders onsite to identify any impacts to wildlife.
- Industry peers and agencies are providing support, including sharing best practices and tools to aid in our safe response to this incident.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains safely isolated as investigation, recovery, repair and remediation continue to advance. This segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have regulatory approval from PHMSA.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Update 8 — December 15, 2022: 9:40 a.m. CT
Incident response and oil recovery continue
9:40 a.m. CT — December 15, 2022
We continue to progress our response and oil recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas, including:
- Safely restarting the Keystone section that extends from Hardisty, Alberta to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois on Dec. 14th.
- As of Dec. 14, 5 p.m. CT, we have recovered 3,035 barrels of oil from the creek (5,567 barrels of oil and water).
- We have excavated the area around the impacted segment of pipeline, which is a milestone in the repair and investigation process.
- We have established a reporting system for anyone in the surrounding area to communicate sightings of impacted wildlife and are working with a third-party environmental agency to assist in our response.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains safely isolated as investigation, recovery, repair and remediation continue to advance. This segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have regulatory approval from PHMSA.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Update 7 — December 14, 2022: 7:40 p.m. CT
TC Energy restarts pipeline section that extends from Hardisty, Alberta to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois
7:40 p.m. CT — December 14, 2022
TC Energy has communicated with its regulators and customers about today’s restart of the Keystone Pipeline section that extends from Hardisty, Alberta to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois. This restart facilitates safe transportation of the energy that customers and North Americans rely on.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains safely isolated as investigation, recovery, repair and remediation continues to advance. This segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have regulatory approval from PHMSA.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Keystone Pipeline System Map showing Milepost 14 Incident location in Washington County, Kansas (12-14-2022).
Update 6 — December 13, 2022: 3:30 p.m. CT
Incident response and oil recovery continue
Our ongoing efforts for incident response and oil recovery at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas continue:
- Rainfall in the area has not had a negative impact on containment on site. Our onsite team had proactively prepared for this event with a secondary dam and additional resources. Crews are working to mitigate challenging road conditions by bringing in more gravel, mats and limiting traffic as it allows.
- We continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment. Late yesterday, we rescued a beaver impacted by the incident. Our third-party environmental experts are caring for the animal using specialized equipment and techniques.
- Vacuum trucks and our crews continue to operate around the clock. Multiple booms are set up downstream of the release point to contain the oil from moving downstream; oil has not breached the containment area.
- The investigation is ongoing, and we do not have any updates on a cause.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Update 5 — December 12, 2022: 6:30 p.m. CT
Oil recovery underway
We continue to progress our response and recovery effort at our Keystone Pipeline System Milepost 14 Incident site in Washington County, Kansas.
We remain focused on the following response and recovery activities, including:
- As of today, we have recovered 2,598 barrels of oil and water from the creek. The creek does not connect to a source of drinking water.
- Vacuum trucks and our crews are operating around the clock to drive this effort and multiple booms are set up downstream of the release point to contain the oil from moving downstream; oil has not breached the containment area.
Our commitment to the community is that our response efforts will continue until we have fully remediated the site. We now have over 300 individuals on site, including third-party experts, to support containment and incident response.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
Update 4 — December 11, 2022: 10:00 a.m. CT
TC Energy continues to progress our response efforts in Washington County, Kansas. We have entered Unified Command with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and continue to work in collaboration with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Association (PHMSA) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
We remain focused on the following response and recovery activities, including:
- A dedicated workforce exceeding 250 personnel, including third-party environmental specialists.
- The product remains contained and multiple vacuum trucks, booms, and additional resources are onsite as we continue the recovery process.
- Repair planning is also underway, as are shoreline assessments.
- Continuous air quality monitoring has been deployed and, at this time, there is no indication of adverse health or public concerns.
Additionally, crews are beginning preparations for forecasted rain beginning Monday. We continue to work closely with landowners, the community, and local, state and federal regulators. Additionally, we are in discussion with the Tribal Nations and will welcome a Tribal representative onsite to monitor the progress.
As always, the health and safety of our onsite staff and personnel, our community neighbors, and mitigating risk to the environment remains our primary focus. We are working with local and state environmental agencies to develop incident-specific Wildlife Management Plans, including specialists to care for impacted wildlife.
We appreciate the patience and collaboration of the surrounding community and partner agencies for their support in responding to this incident. We recognize this is concerning to the community and commit that we will continue our response until we have fully remediated the site.
Our teams continue to actively investigate the cause of the incident. We have not confirmed a timeline for re-start and will only resume service when it is safe to do so, and with the approval of the regulator.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Response crews meet up at their morning briefing on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
Update 3 — December 9, 2022: 2:18 p.m. CT
We are continuing to advance our response efforts at Milepost 14, including:
- An increased workforce on site including remediation crews.
- Product remains contained and multiple vacuum trucks and booms are onsite and we have begun the recovery process.
- Repair planning is also underway, as are shoreline assessments.
- Continuous air quality monitoring has been deployed.
The affected segment of the Keystone Pipeline System remains isolated and downstream migration of the release is contained. Plans for return-to-service continue to be evaluated.
At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements. Over the last several years, we have taken decisive action to implement measures to strengthen our approach to safety and the integrity of our system and will conduct a full investigation into the root cause of this incident, in cooperation with regulators.
We have been working closely with regulators, local elected officials, landowners, the community and tribal nations to keep them informed.
The health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment is our primary focus right now. Our response efforts will continue until we have fully remediated the site.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Update 2 — December 8, 2022: 4:40 p.m. CT
TC Energy continues to respond to a release of oil from our Keystone Pipeline System into a creek in Washington County, Kansas.
The affected segment has been isolated and we have contained downstream migration of the release.
The system remains shutdown as our crews actively respond and work to contain and recover the oil. Our estimated release volume is 14,000 barrels.
Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment. We immediately activated our emergency response procedures and we have established environmental monitoring, including around-the-clock air monitoring. Our response efforts will continue until we have fully remediated the site.
We will continue to provide timely updates as information becomes available.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
TC Energy crews responding to incident on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 in Washington County, Kansas.
Update 1 — December 8, 2022: 5:35 a.m. CT
We have shut down the Keystone Pipeline System and mobilized people and equipment in response to a confirmed release of oil into a creek in Washington County, Kan., approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres) south of Steele City, Neb.
Pursuant to our incident protocols, an emergency shutdown and response was initiated at approximately 8 p.m. CT, on Dec. 7, 2022, after alarms and a detected pressure drop in the system. The affected segment has been isolated, and booms deployed to control downstream migration of the release. The system remains shutdown as our crews actively respond and work to contain and recover the oil.
We are proceeding to make appropriate notifications, including to our customers and regulators and will work cooperatively with third parties to effectively respond to this incident.
Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.
Media inquiries can be sent to TC Energy media relations at media@tcenergy.com.
Community related inquiries can be sent to public_affairs_us@tcenergy.com or 1-855-920-4697.
Frequently asked questions
What caused the incident?
- Over the last several years, TC Energy has taken decisive action to implement measures to strengthen our approach to safety and the integrity of our system. We are conducting a full investigation into the root cause of this incident, in cooperation with regulators. We take every incident very seriously. No incident is ever acceptable to us. Our immediate focus continues to be effective response to clean and remediate the site.
- We continue to gather information as part of the investigation. What we know is that the line was operating at reduced pressure at the time of the incident. We have ruled out a third-party strike as the cause.
- With the area around the impacted segment of pipeline section now excavated, we will be able to learn more about the next steps for repair and investigation. Once we remove the pipe section, it will be transported to a metallurgical laboratory for testing by an independent third party. Ultimately, PHMSA will share the final analysis of the root cause or causes.
- We won’t have specifics about the cause of the incident until we complete the investigation, and the segment of the pipeline is thoroughly analyzed by the NTSB metallurgical lab. Any findings shared until then would be speculation.
When will the Keystone Pipeline be back online?
The section of the pipeline that extends from Hardisty, Alberta, to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois, was restarted on Dec. 14 and will operate at a reduced pressure. For the section south of Steele City, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma, our focus is on the investigation and repair plans are ongoing. This affected segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have PHMSA’s approval. The section south of Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast is operational and running at a reduced pressure.
Keystone Pipeline System
Keystone Pipeline System Map showing Milepost 14 Incident location in Washington County, Kansas (12-14-2022).
What is the Keystone Pipeline System?
The Keystone Pipeline System is 2,687 miles (4,324 km) in length. It plays a key role in delivering crude oil supplies received at Hardisty, Alberta and Cushing, Oklahoma.
The system is primarily a single pipeline from Canada into the U.S. until Steele City, Nebraska, where it diverges with one arm running east through Missouri for deliveries into Wood River and Patoka, Illinois, and the other arm running south through Oklahoma to Cushing and onward to Port Arthur and Houston, Texas. The arm running south of Steele City, Nebraska to Cushing, Oklahoma is the section of the Keystone Pipeline System affected by the incident. This section remains shut down and is under investigation as repair plans are ongoing. This affected segment will not be restarted until it is safe to do so and when we have PHMSA’s approval. The section south of Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast is operational and running at a reduced pressure. Please view the map for a visual representation.
The Keystone Pipeline System began operation in 2010 and has transported more than 3.6 billion barrels of crude oil. An additional segment to the Keystone Pipeline System, the Keystone XL Pipeline Project, was terminated in 2021.
Keystone Pipeline System
Keystone Pipeline System Map showing Milepost 14 Incident location in Washington County, Kansas (12-14-2022).
Why did it take so long to expose the pipeline?
Our primary focus has been on response and recovery to mitigate potential environmental impacts. Protecting people and the environment are always our first priorities in any incident, after which we turn our attention to property.
We have now excavated the area around the impacted segment of pipeline section, which is an important milestone in the comprehensive (or ongoing) repair and investigation.
Will the restarted section be operating at a reduced pressure or flow rate?
TC Energy has restarted the pipeline that extends from Hardisty, Alberta to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois at a reduced pressure as a precautionary measure. The section of pipeline that extends from Cushing to the Gulf Coast is also running at a reduced pressure. Resumption of normal operations will depend on a number of factors. Our focus continues to be on advancing investigation, recovery, repair and remediation of the affected segment.
How long will cleanup last?
We are committed to restoring the affected areas to their original condition or better.
Photos and videos
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Keystone Pipeline System Map showing Milepost 14 Incident location in Washington County, Kansas (12-14-2022).
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
Response crews meet up at their morning briefing on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy response staging area on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in Washington County, Kansas.
TC Energy Milepost 14 Incident location in Washington County, Kan., approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Steele City, Neb.
TC Energy crews responding to incident on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 in Washington County, Kansas.