Yellowstone river oil spill
Oil spill polluting Yellowstone river.
Possibility of polluted drinking water.
A breach along the Poplar Pipeline caused a spill of up to 50,000 gallons of oil produced in the Bakken shale fields of Montana and North Dakota, Bridger Pipeline announced Saturday.
Bridger Pipeline is Responsible.
The company responsible for the pollution is Bridger Pipeline, a large oil transportation company that owns and operates the Poplar System in eastern Montana, the Four Bears Pipeline System in North Dakota, the Parshall Gathering System and the Powder River System in Wyoming.
The scenic Yellowstone River has suffered its second sizable oil spill in four years, prompting truckloads of drinking water to be shipped into the eastern Montana city of Glendive.
"This is a significant spill," the EPA said in a statement Monday night, adding the oil "threatens downstream water users, including drinking water supplies, agricultural uses, and wildlife." The EPA said it was working with Bridger, local and state officials as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Transportation to contain the spill. It said responders are placing containment structures across the Yellowstone River at Sidney, Montana, about 30 miles downstream of the spill.
For its 2011 spill into Yellowstone River, ExxonMobil faces state and federal fines of up to $3.4 million as officials seek damages for injuries to birds, fish, and other natural resources. The company has said it spent $135 million on cleanup efforts.
Questions for Bridger Pipeline.
How long will the environment be in danger of the pollution?
How will you prevent future spills?
Is there any fire danger from the oil?
How will they clean-up operations go through?