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    Yellowstone River Oil Spill Cleanup Continues

    By Charles Simmins | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Mon, Jul 11, 2011
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
    Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor

    In the week since an ExxonMobil oil pipeline broke and released about 1,000 barrels of crude oil (42,000 gallons) into the Yellowstone River, much has been accomplished. The high water levels of the river are preventing some types of activity, such as boating surveys of the spill. Over 500 people from several agencies and private companies are working on the spill with about 300 on the ground in Montana at this time.

    An aerial survey was conducted July 7, looking for oil for about 200 miles downstream from the break near Laurel, Mont. At this time there are two oil patches noted beyond twenty miles from the spill. One is at about the 40-mile mark and the other around 60 miles downstream.

    Exxon reports that 8,000 feet of absorbent boom and more than 150,000 absorbent pads have been used so far. Large quantities of both are on site and available for use as necessary.

    The Edgar, Mont., Yellowstone River gauge is currently at 8.67 feet. That is down 7 inches from its flood crest on July 6. At Billings, about 20 miles downstream from the spill, the river gauge is at 12.56 feet, five inches below flood stage but down 16 inches from its flood crest on July 2. The effects of the spill are largely contained to this section of the river and the high water is spreading the slick into wetlands and other low lying areas. The State of Montana is concerned about the oil damage to these wetlands.

    The Environmental Protection Agency has issued an administrative order to ExxonMobil, detailing the steps the company is required to perform in the oil removal process. The agency is also taking air and drinking water samples for testing on a regular basis. As of July 7, air samples have not shown any related fumes. Water samples from the Yellowstone River have not shown any "petroleum hydrocarbons above drinking water levels standards ". The water is safe for use in agriculture, as well.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created a web page for the Yellowstone River oil spill. It provides information and links for employers and workers involved in the cleanup. The EPA is providing information to local residents on the health effects and other information in a fact sheet.

     

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