Nearly 3 Million Gallons of Drilling Wastewater Spewed From ND Pipeline
New information reveals that 'brine' from ruptured pipeline in North Dakota could be worst spill of its kind since state's shale boom began
A pipeline rupture earlier this month in North Dakota is now revealed to have spilled a possible record-setting amount of "brine" created as a byproduct of oil drilling, with the full impacts of the incident still unknown.
The North Dakota Department of Health was notified of the Jan. 6 leak in Williams County by pipeline operator by Summit Midstream Partners, LLC on the 7th. Based on information from the company, the department had stated that an "undetermined amount of produced water has been released from a salt water disposal line."
A statement issued by the department Wednesday, however, says that the Summit Midstream informed them Tuesday that it was "approximately 70,000 barrels of produced water and an unknown amount of oil" that spewed from the pipeline.
That amount equals 2.94 million gallons.
The Associated Press described it as the largest spill of its kind since the state's shale boom began.
First said to have impacted just the Blacktail Creek, the Little Muddy Creek is now reported by officials as being impacted as well. AP reports that the the Missouri River is also a possible casualty.
Cleanup and remediation efforts are underway, though that effort could take years. Officials say the spill doesn't pose a threat to public drinking water.
Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health's environmental health section, said that the full environmental impact won't be seen until the spring thaw.
The fluid that escaped from the pipeline is being described as "saltwater" or "brine." As Abrahm Lustgarten previously reported for ProPublica, the drilling byproduct "often includes less benign contaminants, including fracking chemicals, benzene and other substances known to cause cancer."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A pipeline rupture earlier this month in North Dakota is now revealed to have spilled a possible record-setting amount of "brine" created as a byproduct of oil drilling, with the full impacts of the incident still unknown.
The North Dakota Department of Health was notified of the Jan. 6 leak in Williams County by pipeline operator by Summit Midstream Partners, LLC on the 7th. Based on information from the company, the department had stated that an "undetermined amount of produced water has been released from a salt water disposal line."
A statement issued by the department Wednesday, however, says that the Summit Midstream informed them Tuesday that it was "approximately 70,000 barrels of produced water and an unknown amount of oil" that spewed from the pipeline.
That amount equals 2.94 million gallons.
The Associated Press described it as the largest spill of its kind since the state's shale boom began.
First said to have impacted just the Blacktail Creek, the Little Muddy Creek is now reported by officials as being impacted as well. AP reports that the the Missouri River is also a possible casualty.
Cleanup and remediation efforts are underway, though that effort could take years. Officials say the spill doesn't pose a threat to public drinking water.
Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health's environmental health section, said that the full environmental impact won't be seen until the spring thaw.
The fluid that escaped from the pipeline is being described as "saltwater" or "brine." As Abrahm Lustgarten previously reported for ProPublica, the drilling byproduct "often includes less benign contaminants, including fracking chemicals, benzene and other substances known to cause cancer."
A pipeline rupture earlier this month in North Dakota is now revealed to have spilled a possible record-setting amount of "brine" created as a byproduct of oil drilling, with the full impacts of the incident still unknown.
The North Dakota Department of Health was notified of the Jan. 6 leak in Williams County by pipeline operator by Summit Midstream Partners, LLC on the 7th. Based on information from the company, the department had stated that an "undetermined amount of produced water has been released from a salt water disposal line."
A statement issued by the department Wednesday, however, says that the Summit Midstream informed them Tuesday that it was "approximately 70,000 barrels of produced water and an unknown amount of oil" that spewed from the pipeline.
That amount equals 2.94 million gallons.
The Associated Press described it as the largest spill of its kind since the state's shale boom began.
First said to have impacted just the Blacktail Creek, the Little Muddy Creek is now reported by officials as being impacted as well. AP reports that the the Missouri River is also a possible casualty.
Cleanup and remediation efforts are underway, though that effort could take years. Officials say the spill doesn't pose a threat to public drinking water.
Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health's environmental health section, said that the full environmental impact won't be seen until the spring thaw.
The fluid that escaped from the pipeline is being described as "saltwater" or "brine." As Abrahm Lustgarten previously reported for ProPublica, the drilling byproduct "often includes less benign contaminants, including fracking chemicals, benzene and other substances known to cause cancer."