Bridger Pipeline LLC (Bridger), contractors for Bridger, the EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), and four START contractors have been working to collect field data regarding river conditions, ice thicknesses, and the presence/absence of sheen or recoverable oil.

On Sunday, an oil sheen was identified 3/4-mile downstream of the Yellowstone River pipeline crossing, and at the Glendive, MT, surface intake. No sheen has been identified at the town of Savage approximately 20 miles downstream, but was reported downstream in open water where there is not an ice sheet is near Crane, MT, which is almost to Sidney and only a couple of miles west of the North Dakota border. Assessment activities are ongoing and being conducted by Bridger Pipeline and its contractors, Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ), the EPA Region 8, and the North Dakota Department of Health (ND DOH). 

Bridger Pipeline personnel have reviewed their 2010 and 2013 pipeline in-line inspection tool data and have not identified any specific issues or anomalies.  Bridger and MT DEQ contacted downstream drinking water utilities to advise them to shut down their intakes.

The incident objectives are:

1. Provide for life safety for all responders and the public.
2. Sample/Monitor and ensure safety of downstream water intakes including Glendive.
3. Stop the release and determine source and presence of crude oil within vicinity of incident. Take measures to prevent further migration in to the Yellowstone River.
4. Find a downstream location at which to prevent further migration of product.
5. Investigate and identify locations for the reasonable recovery of free product.

• A water consumption advisory is still in effect for all water customers served by the Glendive Water Treatment Plant.  This advisory is precautionary in nature until the MCLs are achieved.
• 70 pallets of water were delivered to Glendive on 1/20/2015, and are available at various pickup locations for residents. 25 pallets of water have been consumed to date, and there are plans for supplying two gallons/person/day through the weekend.
• EPA's Mobile Analytical Laboratory from the EPA Region 8 Laboratory is now in Glendive, MT, and operational.  It will be used to provide rapid screening analysis of water samples during the assessment and flushing of the distribution system and for preliminary clearance sampling.  
• Confirmation and compliance samples will still be sent to a certified laboratory in Billings, MT.
• There are 4 EPA START contractors performing drinking water system sampling at taps and hydrants throughout Glendive to establish pre-flushing concentrations of crude oil constituents.
• The Glendive Water Treatment Plant has modified the raw water intake to add charcoal and absorb disolved organic chemicals using granular activated carbon fiters.
• Unified Command is consulting with ATSDR/CDC on health risk assessments for exposure pathways from domestic water supplies and on the plan to flush for the contaminants present in the water.
• The samples taken of the drinking water intake at Sidney, MT, showed no contamination.

• Approximately 240 BBLs of crude oil were recovered and inventoried from the 12 inch isolated pipeline between the block valves at the Yellowstone River crossing. The total length of the pipeline is ~6,800 feet in this segment. 
• A diagnostic tool was used to push the remaining crude oil to one end of the pipeline, where it was removed with vacuum trucks and stored in tanks while mitigating additional discharges.
• The leak site was found roughly 50 feet from the south bank of the Yellowstone River. The location was found by pressuring the pipeline with nitrogen causing bubbles to surface in the breached area.
• The pipeline has been tapped and flanged on each end to minimize any additional leakage from the remaining pipe.
• The plan is to abandon this line and directionally drill a replacement pipeline crossing going forward, under the direction/oversight of DOT PHMSA.

• Crews continue ice slotting operations in the river between the spill site and Glendive, MT.
• Reconnaissance crews are working to identify and access pockets of trapped oil beneath the ice on the river in this same segment.
• Aerial images to detect oil sheens on the river continue to be taken and added to the map viewer.
• Crews are maintaining a final containment recovery site approximately 30-40 miles downstream near Crane, MT. This site was previously referred to as a "backstop," meaning that it is the last line of containment downstream of the spill.  It consists of a series of ice slots that crews are working to keep open and maintain to prevent any downstream contamination.
• The USCG National Pollution Fund Center (NPFC) case officer and 4 Pacific Strike Team Members are at the site to assist with contractor oversight and safety.

• US Fish and Wildlife Services is performing fish and animal sampling to check for contamination.
• Plans are being developed for multimedia environmental sampling.
• The Unified Command is working on developing a technical approach to accessing and removing the threat of discharge from below the sheets of ice.

• EPA is working with ND DOH to maintain awareness of sporadic sheen sightings between Sidney, MT, and the confluence with the Missouri River.
• The City of Williston, ND, has been notified of the spill and is monitoring their intakes, though dilution from mixing with the Missouri upstream of their intake is likely to reduce the threat.
• EPA has been working to notify all elected officials about the status of the response to the spill.
• EPA has notified the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation about the spill and potential impacts for situational awareness.
• EPA Region 8’s Regional Administrator was on site and coordinated with local elected officials, offering technical assistance and support.

TBD as released oil quantities are determined and oil is recovered from the river.

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

The Unified Command is focused on restoring service at the Glendive Water Treatment Plant, flushing and cleaning the distribution system and storage reservoirs, and regaining certification. Beyond clean drinking water, the Unified Command is working on determining the extent of contamination at the site and preventing further migration of spilled crude. The source of the crude oil has been secured and downstream water users have been notified of the incident. Efforts are underway to protect drinking water resources and recover oil from the environment.  

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

Drinking Water Flushing Operations
Sampling and Analysis of the Drinking Water System
Continued Ice-Slotting and Recovery Operations at Milepost 3.3

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Conduct sampling to determine the extent of contamination in the Glendive, MT, drinking water system.
Complete flushing of the Glendive drinking water system and distribution lines.
Address impacts in the immediate vicinity of the rupture location.
Establish a location for installing barriers to continued oil migration.
Assess where collected oil can be recovered, and continue operations.
Address impacts, if any, to the shoreline and environment.

2.2.2 Issues

River conditions and weather are hampering access to the spilled oil. There is extensive ice cover on the Yellowstone River and the ice is not structurally sound enough in many locations to conduct response efforts. Further ice formation is creating flows of smaller chunks of ice and bergs that are hampering the ability to boom the river to prevent further migration. 

www.epaosc.org/BridgerPipeline

http://www.deq.mt.gov/yellowstonespill2015.mcpx

http://truecompanies.truecos.com/bridger/