2011 Yellowstone River oil spill
Encyclopedia
The July 2011 Yellowstone River oil spill was an oil spill from an ExxonMobil
pipeline running from Silver Tip to Billings, Montana
, which ruptured about 10 miles west of Billings on July 1, 2011 at about 11:30 p.m. The resulting spill leaked an estimated 750 to 1,000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River
for about 30 minutes before it was shut down.
As a precaution against a possible explosion, officials in Laurel, Montana
evacuated about 140 people on Saturday just after midnight, then allowed them to return at 4 a.m.
A spokesman for Exxon Mobil said that the oil is within 10 miles of the spill site. However, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
disputed the accuracy of that figure. The governor pledged that "The parties responsible will restore the Yellowstone River."
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
pipeline running from Silver Tip to Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, which ruptured about 10 miles west of Billings on July 1, 2011 at about 11:30 p.m. The resulting spill leaked an estimated 750 to 1,000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
for about 30 minutes before it was shut down.
As a precaution against a possible explosion, officials in Laurel, Montana
Laurel, Montana
Laurel is a city in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Billings, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located in the Yellowstone Valley, as an east-west terminal division point of the Burlington-Northern Railroad.. The population was 6,781 at the 2010 census.Both...
evacuated about 140 people on Saturday just after midnight, then allowed them to return at 4 a.m.
A spokesman for Exxon Mobil said that the oil is within 10 miles of the spill site. However, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
disputed the accuracy of that figure. The governor pledged that "The parties responsible will restore the Yellowstone River."