Water safety concerns exist following oil leak near Glendive

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Jan 18, 2015 11:43 PM by Dustin Klemann - MTN News, Billings
Water safety concerns exist following oil leak near Glendive

GLENDIVE -- An oil leak near Glendive has emergency crews mobilizing to assess the damage and begin cleanup.

The leak from a pipeline was confirmed to have happened Saturday around 10:00am.

At this time it's estimated that as much as 1,200 barrels, or roughly 50,000 gallons, of oil could have spilled into the Yellowstone River.

Bridger Pipeline, the company in charge confirmed the release of crude oil from its Poplar pipeline system.

The initial estimate by Bridger was between 300 and 1,200 barrels.

Reports indicate that the pipeline was shut down shortly before 11:00 am Saturday.

Local, state, and federal authorities have been notified and emergency crews started travel to the site on Sunday afternoon.

Governor Steve Bullocks communication director David Parker said it was his understanding that the river at the crossing where the spill occurred was frozen; that has not been confirmed.

No one was injured in the leak, however concerns over the safety and usability of water in the area do exist.

Dawson County Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator Mary Jo Gehnert said, "I am not saying the water is unsafe. I am not saying it is safe. We are waiting for officials to arrive who can make that decision."

The City of Glendive Water Plant did not detect anything unusual on Sunday.

However, a Glendive viewer informs MTN that their drinking water does have the smell of diesel.

We'll keep you updated as developments happen and when more details are confirmed.

(UPDATE, Monday, January 19, 6 pm) Cleanup efforts have begun on the Yellowstone River near Glendive, downstream from where an oil leak was reported over the weekend.

According to Paul Peronard, the on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, crews are using two techniques to clean up the estimated 50,000 gallons of oil that leaked into the river from the Bridger Pipeline company's Poplar pipeline system on Saturday.

The crews are using a traditional boom, which doesn't work well in the swift water conditions, so it is being backed up by secondary capture point near Crane, which is located between Savage and Sidney about 30 miles away from the spill site.

At the secondary location crews are using what is called an ice-slotting technique in which holes are cut in the ice, and oil is captured using a boom that is lowered through the ice.

Finding a location where the ice was thick enough was difficult because of the condition of the ice needing to be combined with a location to get trucks and pumping equipment to the river.

Should the oil reach Sidney, there is no water intake in Sidney on the Yellowstone River.

There is a water intake for Savage on the Yellowstone River, and crews have placed a preventative boom there and are making preventative arrangements around the intake diversion dam.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks has joined the emergency response team. The area is home to both pallid sturgeon, which are endangered, and paddlefish.

Crews are attempting to keep oil from getting to the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers where both of the fish species spawn.

Meanwhile, authorities said residents in the Glendive area who have smelled petroleum in their water need to call 406-377-3318 ext 16. The number connects to a city office, but they are taking information off an answering machine because the office is closed due to the federal holiday. Callers will need to leave their name, number, and the address of where the smell was detected.

Officials are mapping out where the smells are reported.

As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said they still believe there is not a problem in the water distribution system. They have flown samples out of the water treatment plant in Glendive to a lab in Billings to be tested.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released the following information:

- On January 17th Bridger Pipeline LLC detected a pressure drop and shut down flow in the pipeline that crosses the Yellowstone River 9.22 river miles south (upstream) of the City of Glendive.

- There was a release of crude oil from a 12-inch pipeline.

- According to company reports, the operator's aerial patrol plane has confirmed a sheen on the Yellowstone River in open water approximately ¾-mile downstream and also at the first intake that is 25 miles downstream (north) of Glendive. Oil sheen has also been found 15 miles north of the intake, near Savage.

- The company estimates between 300 and 1,200 bbLs (12,600 and 50,400 gallons) have been released.

- Municipal water systems downstream from Glendive on the Yellowstone have been notified by DEQ of the Bridger Pipeline system failure, including Sidney and Williston, ND. The municipal water systems are not experiencing any issues, but they are having their water tested to make sure.

- DEQ and other emergency response agencies are traveling to the scene, or are on scene, to work together to assess the situation.

- North Dakota is dispatching someone as well to look for signs of oil on their side of the border.

- No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

- The pipeline is shut down.

We link for photo.

(PHOTO ABOVE: Bridger pipeline officials surveyed the Yellowstone River near the Seven Sisters Wildlife Management Area 11 miles south of Sidney on Monday morning. Photo credit - Sarah Bloom, Sidney Herald)

http://www.krtv.com/news/water-safet...near-glendive/


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