BP responded to an oil sheen and odor from an abandoned pipeline in Munster last month about a half mile away from a similar situation on the same system in August, officials said.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management was notified Jan. 6 of an “oil sheen” from an abandoned pipeline in Munster, said IDEM communications director Allen Carter. He confirmed the location of the sheen was a half mile away from an incident that occurred in August in the Cobblestones neighborhood.
BP received odor complaints near two inactive pipelines on Jan. 6 and responded the same day, said BP spokesman Cesar Rodriguez in a statement.
“During our investigation, crews discovered a sheen in a stormwater catch basin and ultimately secured the source of the release. The ongoing work is focused on mitigating future events,” Rodriguez said in the statement. “The safety of our responders, the community and the environment remains our highest priority.”
In a letter to IDEM, Adam Tokarski, environmental coordinator with BP, wrote that the company found “a petroleum sheen” from an abandoned 10-inch pipeline infiltrating into a detention pond and outfall behind the homes on the 10000 block of Somerset Drive.
“The incident involved the detection of hydrocarbon odors and sheen in the storm sewer leading to a response involving BP and our contractors,” Tokarski wrote.
When BP crews identified the oil and the smell, BP coordinated with the Munster Fire Department and Munster Sewer Department, Tokarski wrote.
In response, BP installed sorbent booms within the storm sewer and at downstream outfalls to collect and control the oil with routine inspection and replacement, Tokarski wrote. BP crews also monitored the air, he wrote.
Crews assessed 10-inch and 12-inch pipelines in the area “to remove residual liquids,” Tokarski wrote.
In total, 9,412 gallons of crude oil and water were removed from the 10-inch pipeline through Feb. 4, Tokarski wrote. The 12-inch pipeline was inspected but did not contain free liquids, he wrote.
“Based on field documentation, crude oil and water were successfully removed from abandoned pipeline segments and residual product migration into the storm sewer system has been controlled,” Tokarski wrote. “No confirmed impacts to Hart Drive or downstream waters were observed after controls were implemented, and air monitoring data confirmed that no exceedances of established action levels had occurred.”
BP officials addressed community concerns “through direct engagement and clear explanations of monitoring results,” Tokarski wrote. Residents didn’t need to evacuate and no long-term health risks were identified based on the findings, he wrote.
On Feb. 10, BP’s remediation management group began installing wells along the pipeline at the right-of-way of St. James Place to assess subsurface conditions near the pipeline and “provide a method to recover impacted groundwater, if observed,” Tokarski wrote.
The Munster Fire Department posted a Facebook update on Saturday that BP crews have removed the span of an inactive pipeline over Hart Ditch and will start backfilling midway through this week in the Somerset and Briar Creek subdivisions. Odors may be detected in the area and BP has set up air monitoring, the update stated.
A BP official told the Post-Tribune that residents will see heavy machinery around the worksites and may hear noise from the construction. The official said landscaping on the work sites is being planned based on temperature and other conditions.
Throughout the work, IDEM and local authorities have been notified, the official said.
“BP coordinated this response that successfully mitigated crude oil migration into the storm sewer system. Response actions prioritized public safety, environmental protection and regulatory compliance. Based on monitoring results and completed controls, the incident was stabilized with no ongoing risk to the surrounding community or environment,” Tokarski wrote.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/15/bp-responds-to-second-oil-sheen/
