Flood Debris Possible Cause of Yellowstone River Oil Spill
Will ExxonMobil Oil Reach the Missouri River?
COMMENTARY: Holiday weekend investigations by Exxon Mobil officials reveal floating debris may be the reason the company's oil pipeline ruptured under the flooding Yellowstone River riverbed on July 1 near Laurel, Montana.
The 42,000 gallon oil spill has already traveled down river to Billings, Montana atop swift moving flood waters on July 3. Although coverage of the spill shown on the MSNBC Nightly News shows crews working to absorb the oil from flood waters, oil is still flowing downstream.
Will Oil Reach the Missouri River?
The Yellowstone River flows into the Missouri River. Will the oil spill travel far enough to affect residents living along the flood-ravaged Missouri River basin? Only time will tell as this story develops.
Residents of Montana are worried about the oil flooding onto farmland and livestock grazing areas. Will residents living in the Dakotas have to worry about oil harming their land too in the coming week? As of July 4, Exxon Mobil officials have not released a prediction regarding how far the oil will flow.
Far Reaching Concerns
Although the company has a crew of 200 cleaning up the oil spill, Montana residents not only have to worry about the effects of flood waters, but also oil-contaminated land and wildlife.
The Yellowstone River pipeline was shut down in May when the river started to rise. Exxon Mobil felt it was safe to start using the pipeline and recently turned it back on despite the increase in river flow, debris and flooding.
Related Articles:
Exxon Mobil Corporation History and Facts
Oil Spill: Montana Governor Questions ExxonMobil's Slow Response
Published by Angela Tague
Angela Tague has worked in news writing and photography since 1998. After attaining a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Iowa, Tague's journalism career has led to positions at two... View profile
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