Oilfield wastewater spill reported in northwest North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — State regulators are investigating the spill of oilfield wastewater from a broken pipeline in northwestern North Dakota.
Karl Rockman, of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said Hess Corp., the pipeline’s owner, reported the saltwater spill near Ray on Aug. 15, and estimated its size at 8,400 gallons (31,797 liters). Rockman said Monday the spill now appears to be at least 100 times that.
It was not immediately known what caused the leak to the pipeline. Agency officials were on scene to oversee the cleanup and investigate the spill, said Rockman, director of the department’s division of water quality.
Rockman said it was unknown if any drinking water sources were threatened, or how much land was affected.
Saltwater is an unwanted byproduct of oil and gas development and is considered an environmental hazard by the state. It is many times saltier than sea water and can easily kill vegetation exposed to it.
Related News
From Archive
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- Hudson Tunnel Project set to generate 95,000 jobs during construction phase, report says
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Charleston Water System settles huge lawsuit over sewer system damage caused by non-flushable wipes
- Boring machine 'Chessie' resumes drilling at Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel site after anchor incident
- Ditch Witch 1030
- 24th Annual Directional Drilling Survey
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- House passes Rep. Duarte's legislation to streamline water permitting processes in the Valley
- Court approves 3M settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in public drinking water systems
Comments