An ExxonMobil pipeline running under the Yellowstone River in south central Montana ruptured late Friday, spilling crude oil into the river and forcing evacuations.Yes, again ...and again, and again and again.
The pipeline burst about 10 miles east of Billings, coating parts of the Yellowstone River that run past Laurel — a town of about 6,500 people downstream from the rupture — with shiny patches of oil. Precisely how much oil leaked into the river was still unclear. But throughout the day Saturday, cleanup crews in Laurel worked to lessen the impact of the spill, laying down absorbent sheets along the banks of the river to mop up some of the escaped oil, and measuring fumes to determine the health threat.
Clean up the mess, guys.
Thanks to Ann.
Argh, why the FRAK is there an oil pipeline HERE of all places? Yellowstone, hello? National treasure?
ReplyDeleteI know, I know: our oil addiction. All of our faults. {Sigh}
It's the Yellowstone River, not the park and this is a hundred miles from the Park and flowing in the opposite direction. Obviously, that's not to say that they shouldn't do everything possible to clean it up. Local news sounds like the river is at flood stage and debris in the water probably damaged the pipe.
ReplyDeleteYes, the spill is in the river outside the park but is still not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThe entire Gulf of Mexico is crisscrossed with pipeline upon pipeline. This sort of accident will continue until we find a better fuel or we run out of oil.
All too true, Mimi. And it's worse than I originally thought since the flooding is preventing them from reaching the broken pipe. I now understand why my uncle from Billings decided to go visiting out of town suddenly this weekend. Between the water contamination and smell people are being evacuated from a few areas.
ReplyDeleteI' sorry, I just had to roll my eyes at the Yellowstone Park bit. Kind of like some people I've met from the East Coast who asked me what country Montana was in or whether we had internet out here in the "Wild West".
I never said "Yellowstone Park", Chris H. And I'm not from the East. I've hiked and camped and fished all over the "Wild West" (not Montana in a while, true. But Wyoming and Utah the past year. In my native California Sierra Nevada constantly). Please don't hang your eye-rolling assumptions on me.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies, JCF. Yellowstone is a very common name around here, and if someone puts the words "Yellowstone" and "National Treasure" together it's only to refer to the park, as the other 200 things aren't of interest nationally or really to anyone more than 100 miles away. As an update, the leak was stopped Saturday,the people are home, and cleanup of the banks goes on. Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th.
ReplyDeleteChris, I'm glad to hear the leak is stopped and cleanup has begun.
ReplyDelete