Testing will check for leaks on gas pipeline

The operators of the Yellowstone Pipeline will conduct acoustic tests this evening to determine if leaks are occurring in a section of the 10-inch petroleum pipeline that runs along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. ConocoPhillips is responding to a gradual drop in pressure in that was detected Saturday in the pipeline. As part of the company’s emergency management response, containment booms were installed in two areas of the river. So far, “there’s no indication there’s been a release,” said Marc Kalbaugh, remediation manager for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. “There’s no sheen in the water.” The Yellowstone Pipeline was carrying unleaded gasoline when the drop in pressure was discovered. ConocoPhillips crews have walked the stretch between Cataldo and Enaville and flown over the river, but haven’t discovered any leaks, Kalbaugh said. Preliminary results from the acoustic testing could be available as soon as Friday, he said.