Washington: An oil pipeline in northwestern US state Montana has ruptured and spilled crude oil into the Yellowstone River, a key tourist attraction in the region that runs through a famed national park, the
pipeline operator has acknowledged.
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company yesterday said the leak
developed on Friday on the section of the pipeline that runs
from Silver Tip to Billings, both in Montana.
The pipeline has been shut down and the segment where
the release occurred has been isolated, the company said in a
statement.
The amount of oil released into the river remains
undetermined.
"We recognise the seriousness of this incident and are
working hard to address it," the company said in a statement.
"Our principal focus is on protecting the safety and health of
the public and our employees."
ExxonMobil also promised "a thorough investigation" of
the leak.
Considered one of the most scenic Western US rivers,
the Yellowstone River starts in northwestern Wyoming and flows
northward through Yellowstone National Park, feeding
Yellowstone Lake and creating famous Yellowstone Falls.
It is one of the principal tributaries of the upper
Missouri River.
Although the spill lies downstream from Yellowstone
National Park, the river is seen as a major tourist attraction
along all of its length.
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency
were expected to arrive at the scene of the spill early today,
The New York Times reported.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 03, 2011, 13:44