Exxon Sued for March Oil Spill in Arkansas

Pipeline rupture caused mayhem in town

The United States and Arkansas sued ExxonMobil for the environmental damages from the March 29 Pegasus Pipeline oil spill in a residential neighborhood.

A 60-year-old underground pipeline ruptured in the small town of Mayflower, 24 miles north of Little Rock. The federal complaint does not state how many barrels of oil spilled. Media reports estimate 5,000 barrels. The pipeline could transport 95,000 barrels a day.

"The oil spilled directly into a residential neighborhood and then into nearby waterways, including an unnamed creek, wetlands, and Lake Conway," the complaint states. "Residents were forced to evacuate their homes due to the hazardous conditions in the neighborhood resulting from the spill. Defendants' oil has contaminated land and waterways and impacted human health and welfare, wildlife, and habitat. Cleanup efforts are still ongoing."