North Dakota Spill From Leaking Pipeline: The Biggest Spill On Record

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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Truck Accident in Pennsylvania Results In Spill of Frack Fluid

Only a tiny article in the Star-Gazette mentioned this accident involving two trucks, tractor-trailers, and resulted in a toxic spill into a creek. The accident occurred early Monday afternoon, December 28, on Route 287 in Mifflin Township, PA. Accidents like this happen and will continue to happen over and over again. The natural gas industry is too dangerous to continue to grow and expand all over the country and the world.  It must be stopped.

Read the short article here.

Natural Gas Drilling: A Little Leak in PA

A local observer reports: "This is on PA Route 29 about a half mile south of the village in Dimock, PA. The waste pit liner at Cabot's Hibbard site had a leak in the liner, and the waste made it's way down to Route 29. The leak was discovered in the early spring and is still being cleaned up. What ever comes down the hill from where the pit was (up the hill behind the house) gets pumped in a waste truck and hauled away. This is what I saw on Monday. I went by on Tuesday, and the hose was repaired."

This incident is more than likely way below the radar screen. But it is so typical of the things that happen in the gas drilling process. I was at this very spot a while back and saw this machine and the hoses. It looked to me like there was a drainage ditch right there by the driveway. So the fluids leaking, spurting, out of this hose were going somewhere where they shouldn't be going. Will people or animals be hurt?

Wyoming County, PA, Commissioners Concerned About Gas Industry Incidents

This truck is spraying something on a dirt road in Bradford County.  Mr. Dirt, the company that owns this truck, said it was spraying sodium chloride.

[Photo: Carol Manuel]

The Wyoming County EMS Director Gene Dziak says there has been a five-fold increase in gas industry related incidents in the past month.  These include spills from trucks as well as accidents on well pads. What is being spilled on roads is not always easy to identify.  Dziak also said that, unlike other utilities and mining endeavors, the natural gas industry is not regulated by anyone.  He wants more regulation.

Read the article from the Rocket-Courier, Wyalusing, PA,  here.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!

WHAT ARE YOU SPILLING ON OUR ROADS, MR. GAS DRILLER?