Yellowstone River oil spill: Exxon claims pipeline buried far below

Last Friday night, when an oil pipeline buried below the Yellowstone River burst, the river was flooded with an estimated 42,000 gallons of oil. This was the exact situation federal regulators were trying to prevent when they questioned Exxon Mobil Corp. in December of last year, and were reassured by Exxon that the pipeline was buried deep enough to avoid accidental ruptures.

A survey by Exxon in December of the pipe’s depth was made, and the company claimed it was buried five to eight feet below the riverbed. Federal regulations require pipeline to buried at least four feet under riverbeds, and most pipelines are buried at about that depth, meeting the minimum requirements.

The cause of the spill is still under investigation, but many are speculating that the raging waters of the flooded river (due to melting snowpack from a snowy winter and heavy spring rains) caused serious erosion of the riverbed, exposing the pipeline to debris and damage. In May, when the river started rising, the pipeline was shut down amid concerns that it was at risk. Exxon reviewed their safety records and determined that the pipeline was safe. The pipeline was only shut down for one day. A month later, in a company email, the company claimed the pipeline was buried 12 feet under the riverbed, much more than the previously stated five to eight feet below. This week, when pressed by local officials and regulators, Exxon president Gary Pruessing was not able to say where that figure came from.

Exxon is coming under even more criticism, as documents with additional details on the spill are coming to light. Publicly, Exxon claimed it took “at most” 30 minutes to shut down the pipeline. Later, they said workers began the process of shutting down the pipeline only six minutes after the rupture began flooding the river with oil. But DOT records indicate otherwise; the pipeline was not fully shut down for 56 minutes–almost twice as long as the public statements claim. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer said this week, “The best thing they could do at this point is be completely honest. It is clear that their veracity has not been 100 percent to this point.”

Unfortunately, it should also be no surprise that the oil spill has also affected a much larger area than was originally stated. The impact can be seen far beyond the 10-mile stretch that Exxon claimed was most affected, with confirmed reports of oil 80 miles downstream. The bulk of the spill is concentrated in the 25 mile stretch beyond the spill site, but transportation officials have spotted oil as far as 240 miles downstream.

The overall impacts of the spill to the environment are still being calculated. Federal regulators are hoping to prevent a spill like this again; before the pipeline can be restarted, Exxon must make a series of safety upgrades and improvements. Among them, reburying the pipeline at a depth of up to 25 to 30 feet beneath the riverbed. Exxon company spokesman Alan Jeffers says the company intends to comply with the requirements.

Read more about the spill in the Great Falls Tribune.