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CALGARY — TransCanada Corp. said its original Keystone pipeline has leaked an estimated 795,000 litres or 5,000 barrels of oil in Marshall County, S.D. just days before Nebraska is set to decide the fate of plans to expand the pipeline network.

The company said its crews shut down theKeystone pipeline system Thursday morning between Hardisty, Alta. to Cushing, Okla, and a line to Patoka, Ill. The line is expected to remain shut while it responds to the spill.

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Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist manager at the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the state has sent a staff member to the site of the leak in a rural area near the border with North Dakota about 402 kilometres west of Minneapolis.

“Ultimately, the cleanup responsibility lies with TransCanada, and they’ll have to clean it up in compliance with our state regulations,” Walsh said.

The leak comes as the Nebraska Public Service Commission is set to vote on the Keystone XL sequel on Nov. 20 to clear the last major regulatory hurdle for the $8 billion project. Keystone XL would route the pipeline on a more direct path through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines that feed Texas Gulf Coast refineries.