Oil spill in Yellowstone endangers people and wildlife

Oil Spill in Yellowstone River

An oil spill in the Yellowstone River near Billings, Montana prompted evacuations of people and threatened wildlife in an area rich in endemic birds and fish.

The oil spill is reportedly caused by a leak in a pipeline owned by ExxonMobil that runs under the river. The small town of Laurel, Montana is along the downstream of the Yellowstone River and is said to be the most immediately impacted by the spill.

Long stretches of shiny thick oil can be seen along that area and cleanup personnel are placing absorbent material along the banks of the Yellowstone River to remove some of the oil. Workers are also monitoring the level of danger posed by fumes which could trigger an explosion.

Authorities in Laurel ordered a mandatory evacuation of some 140 people after the oil spill but allowed them to return home after tests showed the danger of an explosion is minimal.

Estimates of the amount of oil are sketchy and the exact cause of the leak is still being investigated. The AP quoted the local fire chief of Laurel as speculating that river bed erosion may have damaged the pipeline.

ExxonMobil said it has activated its North American Regional Response Team to address the oil spill. Environmental Protection Agency investigators are due to arrive in the area on Sunday.

In a statement, ExxonMobil said it had shut down all related pipelines running under or along the Yellowstone River and is cooperating with government authorities. The oil spill also prompted officials to temporarily block the drinking water supply in the area.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Sunday July 03 2011, 5:52 AM EST. Ref: NYT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0