Swift water hinders oil spill cleanup at river
July 3rd, 2011
06:34 PM ET

Swift water hinders oil spill cleanup at river

High water and a swift current has helped break up an oil spill that dumped hundreds of barrels of crude into Montana's Yellowstone River over the weekend, local officials said Sunday.

ExxonMobil said between 750 to 1,000 barrels (32,000 to 42,000 gallons) of oil escaped late Friday when a pipeline ruptured beneath the river near Billings.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder and Duane Winslow, the county's emergency services director, said flooding has made it harder to track and clean up the mess. The Yellowstone was running above flood stage over the weekend, sweeping brush and logs into the river, and had a 5- to 7-mph current Sunday.

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soundoff (10 Responses)
  1. Big Daddy

    Not our beloved Yellowstone... I hiked many times thru there and thought that was to be preserved from any of *mans* fingerprints.

    July 3, 2011 at 6:37 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Cesar

    It's a mess, but as the bible says, "This too shall pass."

    July 3, 2011 at 6:44 pm | Report abuse |
  3. banasy

    Is it Yellowstone Park?
    I thought it was in Yellowstone County, but not the park proper.

    July 3, 2011 at 7:17 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Wolverine

    Sounds like its the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone County but not in Yellowstone Park.

    July 3, 2011 at 7:27 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Big Daddy

    @ Wolverine... The river *is* inside the park and the lack of dames provides a rich amount of trout for fishing. All should visit at least once, Beauty beyond compare for those who fish.

    July 3, 2011 at 7:44 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Wolverine

    Oh ok. My Bad.

    July 3, 2011 at 7:48 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Wolverine

    Sounds beautiful and I enjoy fishing.

    July 3, 2011 at 7:49 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Big Daddy

    And it provides for excellent *Fly Fishing* what's your preference?

    July 3, 2011 at 7:53 pm | Report abuse |
  9. banasy

    Thanks for the clarification, Big Daddy.

    July 4, 2011 at 1:11 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Ezrabenson

    The company responsible should be fined millions of dollars per day until they've cleaned up their pollution mess.

    July 5, 2011 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
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