Utility sopping up mineral-oil spill

Oklahoma Gas & Electric continues to collect and contain mineral oil that spilled from a ruptured transformer on June 1 near Fort Smith, a spokesman for the company said.

“We feel like we’ve recovered a majority of the oil,” spokesman Rob Ratley said.

Mineral oil leaked from a failed transformer at a substation into Mill Creek. The transformer held 16,000 gallons of the nontoxic substance, which is used as a cooling fluid.

The utility is working with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, he said.

OG&E Electric Services continues to investigate the cause of the failure, said a spokesman for the EPA.

The utility has not set an ending point for the response, Ratley said.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 12 on 06/20/2013

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