LAUREL, mountain. (AP) - teams of federal workers and Exxon Mobile are moving along the banks of the legendary Yellowstone River in Montana in an attempt to contain the damage and assess the impact of the tens of thousands of litres of crude oil that gushes from a pipe broke under the bed of the River.
A break in a pipeline Exxon Mobile near Laurel obstructed kilometres of shoreline and forced municipalities and irrigation districts to close the inputs in any is in Montana.
The company estimates that up to 1 000 barrels or 42,000 gallons spilled late Friday before the flow of the pipeline damaged was arrested, coating of parts of the stream with globs of oil.
Exxon Mobil Pipeline Co. President that Gary Pruessing said overflights showed most of the damage was limited to 10 miles of river.
But the Governor Brian Schweitzer has rejected the claim of the Pruessing is premature. The Democratic Governor said that exxon Mobil is in need more staff to inspect the close-up of situation. There is also violently Declaration of the Pruessing to journalists who had found no injured wildlife.
"For someone to say at this stage that there is no damage to wildlife, which is pretty stupid," Schweitzer said. "" "". The Yellowstone River is important to us. We must have a physical inspection of the River in small boats - and soon. »
Local media carried photos of pelicans apparently oiled and turtles. The Agency of Environmental Protection said it cannot confirm any damage to kill wildlife or fish, but verification of investigators and federal agency supposed to more Monday.
Pruessing also said that 12-inch pipeline was temporarily closed in May because of concerns about the rising waters on the Yellowstone. He said that the company decided to revive the line after review of its safety record and determined that the risk was low.
The United States Transportation Department, which oversees pipelines, last year issued a letter of warning to Exxon Mobil cited seven violations of security along the rupture of a pipeline of Silvertip. Two warnings faulted the company for its emergency response and the formation of the corrosion of pipelines.
Spokesman for the Department of transport Patricia Klinger, said the company has since responded to the warnings and the case was closed.
The company also cited "probable violations" in a letter in February. The problems included inadequate pipeline markers in a housing development, a section of pipeline on covered ditch of potentially damaging material and debris, vegetation in the area of housing covering a portion of the line that prevented aerial inspections and a line on a channel not properly protected against corrosion. In a letter of March, the company replied that it had corrected all the problems, most of them a few weeks of notification.
The spill is likely to amplify calls from some safety advocates and environmentalists for the Government to impose stricter regulations on the pipeline industry.
The company and Government officials have speculated that in recent weeks, high waters may have scoured the bottom of the river and exposed pipeline of debris that could damage the pipe. Eastern Montana receives record precipitation last month and also has a huge accumulation of snow in the mountains which is melting, leading to a flood.
"We are very curious to know what can happen at the bottom of the River." "We don't have that yet," said Pruessing.
The pipeline for 20 years has been the last inspection in 2009 with a robotic device that crosses the line looking for corrosion, bumps or other problems, said Pruessing. Tests to determine the depth of the pipeline have been taken in December and at the time, the line seemed to be 5 to 8 feet below the bed of the River, he said.
"It was completely to all regulatory requirements," he said.
Meanwhile, dozens of federal workers with the staff of the U.S. Coast Guard joined Exxon Mobil approximately 120 members of the crew to the effort to clean-up and containment in the flooded River, said the EPA.
"Sunday evening around 200 stakeholders are on-site to assist in the cleaning and minimize any possible health and environmental impacts of the spill," spokesman for the EPA Sonya Pennock said.
Crews have put an absorbent material along short stretches of the River Billings and Laurel, but no attempts were made to capture oil more distance. In some regions, oil flowed in booms.
Is there no clear Word to what extent the damage extended along a picturesque river famous for its fishing and vital for farmers who depend on water for their crops.
Uncertainty owners frustrated riverfront as Linda Corbin, who was concerned that serious an injury would be revealed as the flood of Yellowstone moves back in the coming weeks. The stink of spilled crude oil was evident in the backyard of Corbin - a reminder of the potential problems lurking below the surface of the River.
"The smell was enough to gag a fly," said Corbin, 64. "I hope that it is not too far because I am on a well, and I don't understand who shower in Exxon oil."
Pennock, said that its staff had identified at least 40 miles downstream oil. There are other reports of oil as 100 kilometres away, near the town of Hysham.
Officials earlier reported a long 25 miles downstream water led to the confluence of Yellowstone with the Missouri River, just across the border of Montana, North Dakota. The authorities have no further reports on this sheet and Pruessing said that the oil appeared to be evaporation and dissipating as the Yellowstone is downstream.
The Coordinator on-site EPA how Steve said rapid flow along the river flooding proliferated oil over a large area, making it more difficult to grasp. But that could also reduce damage to wildlife and land grown along the River.
Said property owners that they could not wait long for Exxon to clean, particularly in agricultural areas where crops and pastures are at risk. The Yellowstone River is also popular among fishermen, although the Headwater discharge areas are more heavily trafficked.
Farmer goats Billings - area Alexis Bonogofsky, said flooding of Yellowstone introduced oil its pasture to summer - the pollution that she was afraid would kill the grass to feed his animals.
"My place is covered with oil", she said. "I want a list that says:"It is what is in the crude oil."" »
The spill was low compared to other disasters related to oil, as 11 million gallons of filtered by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989. But officials have said that the intact nature of the Yellowstone with its turbulent waters and shoreline communities, complicated their cleanup efforts and attempts to assess the damage.
Copyright © 2011 the Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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