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In this Dec. 7, 2009 picture provided by the Alaska Department ...

Wed Dec 9, 5:23 PM ET

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In this Dec. 7, 2009 picture provided by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, crews use steamer equipment to melt contaminated material for collection with a vacuum rig. Oil company BP says ice plugs in a pipeline caused a rupture that spilled 46,000 gallons of crude and water in an oil field on Alaska's North Slope.

(AP Photo/Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, B. Fultz)