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Senator demands answers on Northwest fuel pipeline shutdown that could affect Thanksgiving travel

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell demanded answers from BP after a leak forced the 400-mile Olympic Pipeline shutdown, threatening jet fuel at Seattle‑Tacoma International Airport and raising price concerns.
The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline serves as the region's fuel backbone and has been shut since Monday after a Nov. 11 leak near Everett, prompting Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to declare an emergency.
Response crews are excavating two pipelines along the Snohomish River, while cleanup crews deploy vacuum trucks and remove contaminated soil, Jasmin Adams said; Cantwell noted 90 trucks per day replace half the airport's fuel.
Major air carriers report operations remain stable while planning contingencies, and Alaska Airlines prepares flights arriving at Sea‑Tac with extra fuel as it expects 900,000 travelers over Thanksgiving.
Amid a history of incidents, Cantwell asked BP to explain the cause, mitigation, last inspection, and spill impact, citing a 1999 fireball that killed three and a 2023 spill of around 25,000 gallons, Clarkson said Friday.

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