Friday, March 6, 2015

PIPELINE LEAK CAUSES 10,000-GALLON OIL SPILL IN MCKENZIE COUNTY, WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. BRINE PIPELINE DAMAGED IN NORTH DAKOTA, LEAKED NEARLY 19K GALLONS IN DIVIDE COUNTY.





MARCH 6, 2015

TIOGA, N.D. (AP)

The North Dakota Department of Health says a ruptured pipeline led to a 10,000-gallon oil spill in McKenzie County, 18 miles south of Alexander.

The leak occurred after the pipeline owned by Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. was struck by equipment Friday during excavation of the area about 18 miles south of Alexander.

Health department officials say the leak was "mostly confined" to the excavated area and has not impacted any waterway.

Officials say the spill is not a threat to public health at this time, just to the environment.  10,000 gallons of oil is not an insignificant spill.

The NDDoH and the U.S. Forest Service will be providing oversight of the cleanup, which is underway.

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BRINE PIPELINE DAMAGED IN NORTH DAKOTA, LEAKED NEARLY 19K GALLONS

MARCH 6, 2015

DIVIDE COUNTY, ND

North Dakota said a pipeline transporting wastewater from oil and natural gas drilling was damaged and leaked nearly 19,000 gallons of brine in Divide County.

According to the state Department of Health (DOH), the leak occurred after the pipeline, which is owned by Continental Resources Inc., was struck by equipment performing an excavation. The leak totaled approximately 450 barrels of brine.

"The brine spill was confined to the excavated area near the pipeline, has not impacted any waterway and is not a threat to public health at this time," said Karl Rockeman, spokesman for the DOH's environmental health section. He said the incident happened 16 miles north of Tioga, ND.

Rockeman told NGI Friday that the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. CST on March 3.  He said the DOH and the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division responded to the incident and cleanup activities were under way.