EPA: POTOMAC FUEL SPILL BIGGER THAN ESTIMATE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 4, 1993                   TAG: 9304040197
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D8   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: HERNDON                                LENGTH: Short
EPA: POTOMAC FUEL SPILL BIGGER THAN ESTIMATE
As operators prepared for a possible reopening of a diesel fuel pipeline this week, the Environmental Protection Agency increased its estimate of the gallons spilled.
EPA spokesman Pat Gaughan said Saturday that 548,000 gallons of fluid had been collected from Sugarland Run near the mouth of the Potomac since the Colonial Pipeline Co. pipeline ruptured March 28.
About 358,000 gallons of the fluid was fuel and the rest contaminated water, Gaughan said. The Atlanta-based Colonial had said 336,000 gallons of fuel spewed from the pipeline.
"The reason [for the change in figures] is that Colonial only made an estimate originally," Gaughan said. "Those numbers were what they thought was in the pipe, based on orders from their suppliers."
A final amount will be available once Colonial can "line pack" the 14-mile gap in the pipe with fuel, have its customers check off on delivery of their shipments and meter the pipeline at its end in Linden Junction, N.J., Gaughan said. Colonial spokesman Noel Griese said Saturday that process will take about 10 more days.
An intensive cleanup at the site last several more days, Griese said. A total cleanup could take as long as two years. - Associated Press
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB