Odors along waterfront stem from Enbridge tanks

Residents living along eastern Superior may have experienced petroleum odors following last week’s flooding.

According to Enbridge Energy spokeswoman Becky Haase, the odors stemmed from efforts to remove water from the roofs of tanks at the Superior terminal.

Air monitoring was in place and there were no dangerous levels detected but the air did carry the smell of the petroleum, she said.

Crews worked around the clock to pump water off the tank roofs.

Other than the water issue on the tanks, Enbridge experienced no other problems and the pipelines continued to operate normally during the storm, Haase said. Rushing water experienced during the storms can cause “scouring” or abrasions to the pipeline that can cause leaks, but that wasn’t the case, she said.

If residents do see an area where a leak has developed or have some other issue with the pipeline, Haase said they should call the company’s 24-hour emergency number at (800) 858-5253.

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