Yellowstone River Cleanup and Recovery Continues

Cleanup efforts along the Yellowstone River continued on Wednesday
following the release of oil from an ExxonMobil Pipeline Company
pipeline on Friday, July 1.

'We have about 440 people actively involved in the response and cleanup
efforts and we are making significant progress. Active recovery
continues in the zones closest to the spill site but we will go as far
downstream as necessary to fully understand what areas are impacted,?
said Gary Pruessing, president of ExxonMobil Pipeline Company.

CLEANUP STATUS

• 
  More than 76,000 feet of absorbent boom is on site, with more than
  6,000 feet deployed to clean up oil adjacent to the river; More than
  3,300 absorbent pads are on site with more than 1500 deployed.
  
• 
  Ongoing air quality monitoring conducted has confirmed there is no
  danger to public health. Municipal water systems are being notified to
  monitor water quality by the EPA, but no reports of impacts have been
  received to date. The EPA is also monitoring water quality.
  
• 
  Daily aerial flights continue over the area to identify additional oil
  locations and monitor and direct cleanup activity. We are also walking
  the parts of the shorelines where it is safe to do so. Today′s focus
  will be on areas in zones A and B (closest to the spill site) all the
  way to the South Billings Bridge.
  
• 
  The unified command is assessing the data on a daily basis and sending
  responders where they can safely recover oil. Eight boats are staged
  at Coulson Park for deployment for reconnaissance and monitoring on
  the river when conditions permit.
  

COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO LANDOWNERS

• 
  Current efforts are underway to meet with individual landowners who
  have been affected by the spill. Those who may have been affected are
  encouraged to use the claims hotline (1-888-382-0043) for more
  information.
  
• 
  Claims agents are calling local landowners who have contacted the
  hotline to notify them of tonight′s EPA meeting.
  

WILDLIFE ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY

• 
  We have been working with International Bird Rescue and the Montana
  Fish and Wildlife and Parks Departments to survey the area for impacts
  to wildlife. Members of the team have been deployed to inspect the
  property of landowners who have called the claims and wildlife
  hotlines.
  
• 
  To date, no wildlife have been collected.
  
• 
  International Bird Rescue and the Humane Society are staged for
  immediate response and rehabilitation if needed.
  

ExxonMobil Pipeline Company is coordinating the response with the
Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of the Interior;
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.

HOTLINE INFORMATION

• Claims hotline: Individuals in the
  community who might have been impacted by this event are encouraged to
  contact the claims hotline number (1-888-382-0043).
  
• Wildlife hotline: Anyone who comes across
  wildlife that have been impacted by the spill are asked to use the
  wildlife hotline number (1-800-259-0596)
  

Downstream Media Relations

703-846-4467