Open valve spilled oil into Kansas floodwaters

COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill that damaged hundreds of homes during flooding four weeks ago began when the valve on a refinery storage tank was left open, state health officials said.

The open valve allowed oil to continue flowing into a tank until it spilled into the floodwaters July 1, the Department of Health and Environment told the Wichita Eagle for a story published Sunday.

But department officials don't know why the valve was left open, said spokesman Joe Blubaugh.

The refinery's owner, Coffeyville Resources, has long acknowledged that a storage tank overflowed as the refinery was swamped by floodwaters from the Verdigris River. An estimated 71,000 gallons of crude oil escaped and flowed into neighborhoods.