ECOLOGICAL DISASTER: Crude oil continues to flow through the U.S. rivers
Elena Vnorovscaia / Chişinău / Moldova.ORG / -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration have ordered ExxonMobil Pipeline Company to make safety improvements to a ruptured Silvertip pipeline in Montana.
This rupture caused 750 to 1,000 barrels of crude oil to gush into the Yellowstone River last week. The Silvertip Pipeline is a 12-inch pipeline about 69 miles long and carries crude oil from the Silvertip station in Elk Basin, Wyoming, to an ExxonMobil Refinery in Billings, Montana.
The rupture made Montana's governor declare a state of emergency in Yellowstone, Treasure, Rosebud, Custer, Prairie, Dawson and Richland counties, all of which have been affected by the spill that occurred just before midnight Friday.
But in the emergency declaration Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer claimed that oil has since been discovered beyond Hysham, about 90 miles from the leak site.
He states that the "ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (is) the responsible party for this release."
In its turn, ExxonMobil says - «We're going to keep adding resources. That's our focus -- find the oil, clean it up and get it back to its original state as quickly as possible."
That means that Exxon should re-bury the pipeline underneath the river bed to protect it from external damage. Also the company should prevent any risks on the pipeline where it crosses any waterway.
Although no official cause of the accident has been determined, sources within the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services have speculated that heavy flooding in the area could have contributed to pipeline damage, which may have in turn contributed to the rupture.
The cause of the pipeline break is still under investigation.
At the moment cleanup workers have placed absorbent materials along the banks of the river, trying to capture some of the oil, and they have been keeping a close eye on fume levels in case any further evacuations become necessary.
"My biggest concern is those 1,000 barrels," Schweitzer said. "You cannot dump (that much oil) into a pristine trout stream without causing damage to the fisheries."
Besides the fish, the area is home to Canada geese, ducks, ospreys, otters and bald eagles, said Charles Preston, an ecologist and conservation biologist who heads the Draper Museum of Natural History. The birds, in particular, might die directly or indirectly as they go after fish. Toxins may kill critical insects, which in turn could have a trickle-down effect on the multimillion-dollar fishing industry, he said.
"It could take years to really understand the impact of the spill," experts say. Exxon scientists continue to monitor the area for any potential health threats.
David Eglinton, an ExxonMobil spokesman, said the company is committed to staying the course and studying the effects through the whole course of the river. That includes checking water quality as far downstream as Miles City (144 miles) and Glendive (222 miles) from the original spill site.
More than 48,000 feet of absorbent boom and 2,300 absorbent pads had been used as of Tuesday to soak up the oil, while "vacuum trucks" and tankers have been positioned nearby to transport them from the scene, according to ExxonMobil.
The company said the air quality and municipal water systems are also being monitored, while planes are routinely flying over the river to help detect patches of oil.
So far, according to the company, the drinking water is safe.
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