ExxonMobil Pipeline Company Continues Cleanup Operations in Montana

05.07.2011  |  Business Wire

ExxonMobil Pipeline Company provided the following update as cleanup
operations continued Monday following a release of oil into the
Yellowstone River.

• 
  More than 280 people are now involved in the response and cleanup
  effort including ExxonMobil′s North America Regional Response Team,
  the Clean Harbors and ER oil spill response organizations and
  additional contractors. More than 150 people cleaned up oil along the
  river banks today.
  
• 
  A unified command has been established to manage response activities,
  including recovering oil, monitoring air and water quality, and
  addressing questions from local residents. ExxonMobil is coordinating
  the response with the Environmental Protection Agency; the Montana
  Department of Environmental Quality; U.S. Department of Transportation
  Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; Montana Fish,
  Wildlife and Parks; Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency
  Services; and Yellowstone County commissioners.
  
• 
  For the purposes of the response, the area downriver of the spill has
  been organized into four zones. Cleanup activities are focused in the
  first two zones, Laurel to Duck Creek Bridge, a distance of seven
  miles from the spill location, and Duck Creek Bridge to Johnson Lane
  (12 miles). Reconnaissance and evaluation activities are under way in
  the second two zones, Johnson Lane to Miles City (144 miles) and Miles
  City to Glendive (78 miles).
  
• 
  Active clean up continues in the first two zones closest to the spill
  site. More than 48,000 feet of absorbent boom and 2,200 feet of
  containment boom and 2,300 absorbent pads are on site and being used
  to clean up oil adjacent to the river. Vacuum trucks and tankers have
  also been deployed to pick up and dispose of the oil.
  
• 
  As of this evening, we have received 94 calls to the community claims
  line. Of those, 36 were reports from landowners related to oil on
  their property. We continue to encourage individuals in the community
  who might have been impacted by this event to contact the claims
  hotline number (1-888-382-0043).
  
• 
  We are actively conducting reconnaissance in the second two zones. We
  are ready to deploy resources as needed to clean up oil that may be
  identified from the spill in these areas.
  
• 
  Daily aerial flights over the river are being undertaken to identify
  additional oil locations and monitor and direct cleanup activity. As
  part of our reconnaissance, we are also walking the parts of the
  shorelines where it is safe to do so.
  
• 
  Given the current flooding and very swift river currents, we will need
  to wait until it is safe to get into some areas. When we have
  determined that conditions are safe, we have eight boats staged at
  Coulson Park for deployment for reconnaissance and monitoring on the
  river.
  
• 
  We continue to monitor air quality and all previous reports have
  confirmed no danger to public health. The EPA has conducted water
  quality sampling and will publicize those findings when they receive
  the results. Municipal water systems are being notified to monitor
  water quality but no reports of impacts have been received to date.
  
• 
  Workers from the International Bird Rescue have arrived in Billings.
  The Montana Audubon Conservation Education Center and Yellowstone
  Valley Audubon have offered to provide wildlife recovery services and
  facilities. We have not received any confirmed reports of impacted
  wildlife but will continue to monitor the area.