On December 7, approximately 14,000 barrels of oil leaked from the Keystone pipeline in Washington County, Kansas, according to the pipeline's developer TC Energy.
"No public health issues at this point that I am aware of, minimal damage to land and TC Energy is making impressive effort to correct as quickly as possible," Willbrant said. "I’m sure there is long-term concern, but I think everything that can be done is being done at this point."
TC Energy said in an update on Thursday that it has recovered 3,035 barrels of oil from Mill Creek, a small river stream that runs through rural farmland in northeast Kansas. The company added that it restarted the section of the pipeline that carries oil from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the state of Illinois.
The cause of the leak is unknown, but the company continues to investigate and repair the damaged portion of the pipeline.
Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Hubbard also told Sputnik that public health has not been impacted by the oil spill as the creek does not connect to a source of drinking water for the community.
The US Environmental Protection Agency said in a Thursday release that oil leaked from the ruptured pipeline was diluted bitumen, a heavy crude oil, which may be harder to recover because it tends to sink in water rather than float on the surface. Incoming colder weather may also impact recovery efforts, the agency said.
Several EPA officials remain on the scene of the incident to oversee recovery efforts, according to the agency.
At least four deceased animals have been recovered, along with 71 fish, from the site of the leak, the EPA said, adding that officials continue to assess the impact the leak has on wildlife.
The Keystone pipeline transports 622,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas.