Yellowstone River oil spill map

Montana officials said that a pipeline breach spilled crude oil to the Yellowstone River at 10 am near Glendive, Montana. The Bridger Pipeline business stated that the break ended up being repaired within an hour yet still lead to a spill of 42, 000 gallons of oil.

Extreme flooding and a river-altering ice circulation in spring 2014 scoured several kilometers associated with the Yellowstone River, like the area where the pipeline break happened. The pipeline which was believed to be several foot underneath the riverbed could possibly remain bare regarding river’s floor, making it vulnerable.

The Yellowstone River is partially frozen now of the year so preliminary quotes of the cleaning energy and contamination of this liquid was low because it was believed that the ice would avoid the oil from going downstream. But the ice additionally managed to make it hard to find the oil so in the end it hampered cleaning.

Sunday: Water tests within the town of Glendive showed no contamination, nevertheless by evening residents had been stating an odor that smelled like diesel fuel. Residents were then told to not ever take in or prepare with all the liquid.

Monday: cleaning teams were at the office to deal with the mess about 9 miles upstream from Glendive in the source of the oil spill. Reports revealed that the oil had traveled in terms of 25 kilometers downstream from town.

Tuesday: Glendive began trucking in water in bottles. The crude oil in Saturday’s spill contains dangerous quantities of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical. Town is using precautions although it is however is verified your spill is a threat to community wellness in Glendive.

Is Yellowstone Nationwide Park at risk?

The Yellowstone River flows through Yellowstone National Park, online streaming in-and-out of Yellowstone Lake about 400 kilometers upstream from spill. Although the spill is a considered a tragedy for Montana wildlife and normal resources, the national playground is certainly not in immediate danger.