Red marker on aerial map shows Bear Den Bay, which leads into Lake Sakakawea. Image from Google Maps
Cleanup efforts continue at the site of a pipeline spill on the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota. A pipeline with saltwater, a byproduct of oil and gas development, ruptured and spilled about 1 million gallons on the reservation. But the Environmental Protection Agency said initial tests did not detect any problems in Bear Den Bay, which leads to near Lake Sakakawea, a source of drinking water for the tribe. The spill carved a path 8,240 feet long, or nearly 2 miles. It damaged trees, brush and grasses in the area, the Associated Press reported. Although the leak wasn't noticed for a few days after the July 4 holiday, Chairman Tex Hall said it was contained to prevent the saltwater from reaching the lake. But some tribal members said the incident reflects the damaging nature of energy development. “As far as I’m concerned they should take it away and be done with it because it’s killing our mother earth,” Katherine Young Bear told the AP. Crestwood Midstream Services Inc., which owns the pipeline, said the cleanup process will last a few weeks. Get the Story:
Oil byproduct that spilled in North Dakota extends 2 miles (AP 7/11)
Near spill, reservation wrestles with oil’s impact (AP 7/12)
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