Arkansas AG Says Oil Spill Shows Need for Inspections

Arkansas’ attorney general says the recent rupture of an ExxonMobil pipeline highlights the need for pipeline maintenance, inspections and safety standards.

State Attorney General Dustin McDaniel spoke to reporters Wednesday after visiting a Mayflower neighborhood where ExxonMobil’s Pegasus pipeline ruptured Friday about 25 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Thousands of barrels of oil spewed onto lawns and roadways and almost fouled nearby Lake Conway.

McDaniel’s visit comes a day after he announced plans to investigate the cause and impact of the oil spill.

He’s asked ExxonMobil to preserve all documents related to the oil spill and ongoing cleanup efforts.

ExxonMobil says it will cooperate with McDaniel’s office.

A federal report issued Tuesday says ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. inspected part of the pipe that burst in 2010 and again in February.