Is this a preview of the (seemingly inevitable) Keystone XL Pipeline? The Yellowstone River has already been stained with crude twice in three years, when will thirsty voters (and their representatives) get it?
Oil spills in Montana's Yellowstone River after pipeline leakIn 2011, Exxon Mobil Corp’s 40,000 bpd Silvertip pipeline in Montana ruptured underneath the river, releasing more than 1,000 barrels of crude and costing the company about $135 million to clean up.
50,000 gallons of oil spill into Yellowstone River
Posted January 19, 2014 by Eileen Bsource: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/19/1358683/-50-000-barrels-of-oil-spill-into-Yellowstone-River
Ice hampers oil spill cleanup in Yellowstone River; residents report smell, taste of oil in water attribution: Larry Mayer, Billings Gazette GLENDIVE (AP) — Crews working to clean up crude oil that spilled in and near the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana and prevent it from traveling further downstream were hampered by ice covering much of the river, officials said Monday.Meanwhile, according to the Billings Gazette Monday morning, some Glendive residents are reporting the smell and taste of oil in their drinking water.
The city water plant has stopped drawing water from the Yellowstone River as a precautionary measure. The EPA is taking samples at the water plant and at residences where people reported the smell and taste of oil in their water.
“We took samples this morning that are going to the lab in Billings. We’ll have data back by tomorrow,” said Paul Peronard, with the EPA.
Results should be available earlier than that from tests that are being conducted now at the water plant and area homes, Peronard said, though the spot test results aren’t as definitive as the Billings lab analysis.
GLENDIVE, Mont. – Truckloads of water are being brought into Glendive after a spill of close to 1,200 barrels of oil, roughly 50,000 gallons, has officials concerned about the town’s water supply.
Montana officials have notified Sidney, Mont., and Williston, N.D., both downstream from the leak, and municipal water systems there are being tested for contamination, too, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement Monday evening that elevated levels of hydrocarbons have been found in Glendive’s water supply.
Cleanup workers cut holes into the ice on the Yellowstone River near Crane, Mont. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 as part of efforts to recover oil from an upstream pipeline spill that released up to 50,000 gallons of crude. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)Photo with this caption and article is at KSN.com here.
Cleanup after "unfortunate incident" in YellowstoneGlendive is north east of Billings, MT. Yellowstone Park itself is quite a bit south west of the spill location, but that doesn’t make it okay!BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana officials said Sunday that an oil pipeline breach spilled up to 50,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River near Glendive, Montana, but they said they are unaware of any threats to public safety or health.
The Bridger Pipeline Co. said the spill occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday. The initial estimate is that 300 to 1,200 barrels of oil spilled, the company said in a statement Sunday.
Some of the oil did get into the water, but the area where it spilled was frozen over and that could help reduce the impact, said Dave Parker, a spokesman for Gov. Steve Bullock.
More info:
U.S. Pipeline Breach Spills Oil Into Yellowstone River
Not to worry, right folks? I mean, it’s no biggie. Last time there was a solar panel accident, it destroyed all the flora, fauna, and human settlements for miles around. It could take centuries to recover from that awful sun spill!
Oh, wait.
Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline
OK, so what does this have to do with Keystone, you ask? This says it all:
Join 350.org and stop the Keystone XL and on the eve of the SATU, click here and Tell President Obama: Stop Keystone XL!
Activists Rally Across The U.S., Calling On White House To Reject Keystone XLBig Block of Cheese Day.by Katie Valentine Posted on January 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm
The final decision on Keystone XL rests with President Obama, who is expected to decide after the State Department determines whether or not the pipeline is in the country’s national interest. If approved, Keystone XL would total 1,179 miles and could carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil from Canada’s tar sands regions to refineries in the Gulf Coast and Midwest each day. A study last year found that the pipeline could result in four times more greenhouse gas emissions than the current State Department estimate, and President Obama has said that he would only approve Keystone XL if the project wouldn’t “significantly exacerbate” the problem of greenhouse gas emissions.
Big Block of Cheese Day is a perfect opportunity to get active. Please do.
So be sure to visit WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU to watch the State of the Union address on January 20, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET and check out the schedule of all the ways you can engage on the following day, January 21. We camembert to think you'd miss it.All day:
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REFERENCES
- After oil spilled in Yellowstone River, residents told not to drink water
- Keystone XL Pipeline resources at Friends of the Earth
- GASLAND
- A Mysterious Patch Of Light Shows Up In The North Dakota Dark
- Erin Brockovich´s People´s Reporting Registry Map
- Bayou Corne, Louisiana Sinkhole
Erin Brockovich and her team of environmental scientists and lawyers are presently undertaking investigations to identify the cause behind the Louisiana Sinkhole.
Texas-Brine, the company that owns the cavern is suspected of being the cause of the sinkhole in Assumption Parish. On May 31, 2012, parish residents noticed bubbles percolating up from both Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou. On June 22 state officials began to investigate the gas for hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and natural gasses. Later, the community enlisted the help of the United States Geological Service in locating both the origin and cause of the seismic activity. On August 3, 2012 the sinkhole became apparent, following a strong, pungent diesel smell was experienced in the area. Initial measurements of the sinkhole was 324 feet in diameter and approximately 422 feet in depth. Current reported estimates suggest it has since grown to over 6 acres in size.
- Ground Gives Way, and a Louisiana Town Struggles to Find Its Footing
- VIDEO: Massive Sinkhole Keeps Growing!
- VIDEO: Bayou Corne Sinkhole Update - Company names & numbers - 09-29-2012 CV3D
- VIDEO: Bayou Corne Louisiana Sinkhole Update - Expanding the search for a cause 09-30-2012 CV3D
- VIDEO: Bayou Corne Sinkhole isn't the first - Lake Peigneur Salt Mine drilling accident