3 million gallons of brine from oil drilling spills in N.D.
January 21 at 11:17 PM
3 million gallons of brine spill in N.D.
Nearly 3 million gallons of saltwater generated by oil drilling have leaked from a North Dakota pipeline, an official said Wednesday, the largest such spill since the state’s oil boom began and nearly three times worse than previous record spills. Two creeks have been affected, but the full environmental effect might not be clear for months.
Operator Summit Midstream Partners detected the pipeline spill on Jan. 6, about 15 miles north of Williston, and told health officials then. Officials said they were not given a full account of the size until Tuesday.
Cleanup has begun and inspectors have been monitoring the area, but it will be difficult to measure the effects on the environment and wildlife until ice melts, said Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health’s environmental health section. Some previous saltwater spills have taken years to clean up.
“This is not something we want to happen in North Dakota,” Glatt said.
At the moment, the spill does not threaten public drinking water or human health, Glatt said. He said a handful of farmers have been asked to keep their livestock away from the two creeks, the smaller of which will be drained.
[So there is nothing to worry about, oh, but don't let your animals drink from the creeks, oh, and one of the creeks will be drained.....]
The saltwater, known as brine, is an unwanted byproduct of oil and natural gas production that is much saltier than sea water and may also contain petroleum and residue from hydraulic fracturing operations.
The new spill is almost three times larger than one that fouled a portion of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in July.
— Associated Press
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