HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 12-31 Federal team plans to probe pipeline leak DISPATCH Thursday
December 31, 1981 15
Federal
team
plans to probe
pipeline leak
By Anne Brataas homes rented for them by Wil-
Staff Writer Hams, because of the noxious
Federal investigators from the fumes that enter the houses from
Office of Pipeline Safety will ar-
rive next week to inspecta leak- moving.
ing Williams Pipeline Co. line The neighbors are mad at Wil-
that has spilled 15,000 to 17,000 Hams because they say the corn-
gallons of gasoline into the pany offer to buy the home of
ground beneath a Maplewood Richard and Elaine Koutek, vic-
neighborhood in five months. tims of the fumes, is not fair.
The long-term health effects Williams offered $130,000 for
of inhaling gasoline fumes will the house, wooded lot and swim-
also be investigated next week ming pool. The Kouteks are now
by the Minnesota Pollution Con- living in a house Williams rents
trol Agency, with help from the for them.
federal Centers for Disease Con- BUT THE KOUTEKS refused
trol in Atlanta. the offer. "I couldn't possibly re-
The pollution control agency place my house, or the location
has not taken legal action or any of it with that,"said Mrs.
against Williams but is intensify- Koutek. The family had asked
ing cleanup efforts because the for about $135,000 for the house
problem of gas fumes in houses and property and another
is spreading. $50,000 for inconveniences.
THE LEAKING LINE, buried "We tried to be honest with
under Bartelmy Lane, was re- Williams, we gave them the ben-
paired July 12 but the clean-up efit of the doubt, we didn't get a
continues. lawyer right away,.we just took
PCA officials estimate as them at their word that they
many as 50,000 gallons of gaso- would fix the problem," Mrs.
line may be floating on the water Koutek said. "But they haven't
table and that it will take anoth- been fair with us. They're not
er year to clean it up. making us a reasonable offer,
"This is really a big problem. they made no mention of a
There's a lot more product down health threat and they give us no
there than anybody ever information. We're the little
thought," said Dick Kable, head guys and they're the big oil com-
of the PCA spills unit. "Cleaning pany and we're getting the
it up is going to go into the mil- shaft."
lions of dollars." Williams officials were una-
Meanwhile, nine residents of vailable for comment Wednes-
Bartelmy Lane met Wednesday day night. But they said previ-
to map a strategy for fighting ously that they will continue to
Williams. They talked of a law- work toward a settlement with
suit, but didn't decide to sue. the neighbors and a restoration
Five of the nine have moved in of the neighborhood to every-
temporarily with relatives, or to one's satisfaction.
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