A spill near a Kansas nature reserve dumped oil and industrial salt water

The spill included 10 barrels of oil and 1,500 barrels of industrial salt water left over from oil and gas production. Officials say it's mostly cleaned up.
TOPEKA, Kansas — About 10 barrels of oil and 1,500 barrels of industrial salt water spilled from an oil pipeline into a creek near the Quivira Wildlife Refuge in central Kansas earlier this month.

Rattlesnake creek runs through the refuge, an important migratory stop for birds. The spill happened outside of the refuge and it isn’t immediately clear what the impact on wildlife will be.

Quivira officials didn’t immediately return requests for comment, but the refuge’s manager told the Kansas Reflector that they have barriers in the creek to catch contaminants.

“We’re watching,” said Mike Oldham, manager of the refuge, which is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We’re waiting. We’re monitoring.”

The spill happened about 35 miles west of Hutchinson. It’s about 99% cleaned up, said Linda Berry, director of public affairs and consumer protection for the Kansas Corporation Commission.