Officials watch Missouri River in North Dakota after Yellowstone River oil spill in Montana - 6 Major pipelines cross the Missouri River
The six major pipelines that cross the Missouri River system are the Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline (natural gas) and the NuStar Energy Pipeline (refined crude oil products), both north of Bismarck under the Missouri River, a Cenex-owned pipeline carrying refined crude from Montana carried over the Missouri River on the 4 Bears Bridge at New Town, and the Dakota Gasification Company's carbon-dioxide pipeline and the Tesoro crude Pipeline, both under Lake Sakakawea.
Bismarck Tribune | Posted: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 11:11 pm
Cleanup crews work to clear oil from along side the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Mont., on Tuesday. The Yellowstone River swelled above flood levels Tuesday, raising fears that the surge will push thousands of gallons of oil spilled from a broken pipeline into undamaged areas and prolong cleanup efforts as crude seeps downstream and into back channels.
An oil spill into the Yellowstone River could eventually run into the Missouri River, and state health officials took water quality samples near Williston on Tuesday to look for volatile compounds and hydrocarbons.
Friday's spill of a reported 42,000 gallons of oil from a broken ExxonMobil pipeline near Laurel, Mont., was visible 50 miles downstream in the Yellowstone River on Tuesday, said State Health Department Water Quality Division director Dennis Fewless.
He said at the present rate of flow - about 70,000 cubic feet per second - Yellowstone River waters from Laurel would reach the confluence with the Missouri River near Williston by midnight on Tuesday, although it's not clear if any of the oil plume would also be carried that far so quickly.
Fewless participated in a conference call on Tuesday morning with Montana officials and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. They reported that about 200 people were working to clean up the spill with absorbent pads and booms.
Fewless said the high water levels in the Yellowstone River are pushing water out onto vegetated flood plains, where oil is easier to capture than out in the main channel.
"We'll grab samples (in Williston) as a precaution, but I don't anticipate a problem," Fewless said.
The Missouri River is the water source for Williston, but the intake is not on the surface where any oil would float, he said.
Even though the oil appears to be pooling hundreds of miles upstream of the two rivers' confluence, Fewless said he'll get a quick turn-around of Tuesday's water samples for comparison.
The incident underscores the need for equipment and training to handle an oil spill in water in North Dakota, where an oil well spill north of Keene impacted Lake Sakakawea this spring
Fewless said state and federal environmental officials have been meeting with the State Industrial Commission and the oil industry to talk about how and where to gear up for an oil-in-water spill with the right boat and boom assets and response time.
"A lot of work is being done. By Sept. 1, I expect there'll be a lot in place in North Dakota," Fewless said.
Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, said there are six pipelines that cross either Lake Sakakawea or the Missouri River and a larger cluster that cross the Little Missouri River. He said safety statistics compiled by the federal Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration show North Dakota's pipelines so far have a "very good" safety record.
The Safety Administration's statistics show that over the decade ending in 2010, there have been an average of two pipeline spills each year, of an average 4,600 barrels, causing about $1 million in property damage.
So far, those haven't affected a major stream, lake, or river.
Fewless said recent pipeline spills into waterways have been from gathering lines from oil wells. Those were a 5-barrel spill into Horse Creek and a
40-barrel spill into Spring Creek, both in Bowman County, and both ephemeral streams that run only with snowmelt or rain runoff.
"We've never had anything of this (Yellowstone River) magnitude," Fewless said.
The six major pipelines that cross the Missouri River system are the Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline (natural gas) and the NuStar Energy Pipeline (refined crude oil products), both north of Bismarck under the Missouri River, a Cenex-owned pipeline carrying refined crude from Montana carried over the Missouri River on the 4 Bears Bridge at New Town, and the Dakota Gasification Company's carbon-dioxide pipeline and the Tesoro crude Pipeline, both under Lake Sakakawea.
Fewless said he will receive regular updates on the Yellowstone River spill.
An oil spill into the Yellowstone River could eventually run into the Missouri River, and state health officials took water quality samples near Williston on Tuesday to look for volatile compounds and hydrocarbons.
Friday's spill of a reported 42,000 gallons of oil from a broken ExxonMobil pipeline near Laurel, Mont., was visible 50 miles downstream in the Yellowstone River on Tuesday, said State Health Department Water Quality Division director Dennis Fewless.
He said at the present rate of flow - about 70,000 cubic feet per second - Yellowstone River waters from Laurel would reach the confluence with the Missouri River near Williston by midnight on Tuesday, although it's not clear if any of the oil plume would also be carried that far so quickly.
Fewless participated in a conference call on Tuesday morning with Montana officials and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. They reported that about 200 people were working to clean up the spill with absorbent pads and booms.
Fewless said the high water levels in the Yellowstone River are pushing water out onto vegetated flood plains, where oil is easier to capture than out in the main channel.
"We'll grab samples (in Williston) as a precaution, but I don't anticipate a problem," Fewless said.
The Missouri River is the water source for Williston, but the intake is not on the surface where any oil would float, he said.
Even though the oil appears to be pooling hundreds of miles upstream of the two rivers' confluence, Fewless said he'll get a quick turn-around of Tuesday's water samples for comparison.
The incident underscores the need for equipment and training to handle an oil spill in water in North Dakota, where an oil well spill north of Keene impacted Lake Sakakawea this spring
Fewless said state and federal environmental officials have been meeting with the State Industrial Commission and the oil industry to talk about how and where to gear up for an oil-in-water spill with the right boat and boom assets and response time.
"A lot of work is being done. By Sept. 1, I expect there'll be a lot in place in North Dakota," Fewless said.
Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, said there are six pipelines that cross either Lake Sakakawea or the Missouri River and a larger cluster that cross the Little Missouri River. He said safety statistics compiled by the federal Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration show North Dakota's pipelines so far have a "very good" safety record.
The Safety Administration's statistics show that over the decade ending in 2010, there have been an average of two pipeline spills each year, of an average 4,600 barrels, causing about $1 million in property damage.
So far, those haven't affected a major stream, lake, or river.
Fewless said recent pipeline spills into waterways have been from gathering lines from oil wells. Those were a 5-barrel spill into Horse Creek and a
40-barrel spill into Spring Creek, both in Bowman County, and both ephemeral streams that run only with snowmelt or rain runoff.
"We've never had anything of this (Yellowstone River) magnitude," Fewless said.
The six major pipelines that cross the Missouri River system are the Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline (natural gas) and the NuStar Energy Pipeline (refined crude oil products), both north of Bismarck under the Missouri River, a Cenex-owned pipeline carrying refined crude from Montana carried over the Missouri River on the 4 Bears Bridge at New Town, and the Dakota Gasification Company's carbon-dioxide pipeline and the Tesoro crude Pipeline, both under Lake Sakakawea.
Fewless said he will receive regular updates on the Yellowstone River spill.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_3abf0cde-a787-11e0-8938-001cc4c03286.html
Corps of Engineers issued an announcement declaring that monthly run-off into the Upper Missouri River Basin was the highest on record, dating back to 1898
http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/aan-deluges-in-may-june-set-record-flow-on-missouri-river-20110705,0,4921542.story
Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said Tuesday that the US Army Corps of Engineers has responded to his call to make Nebraska's nuclear power plants a top consideration amid Missouri River flooding
http://nebraska.watchdog.org/15504/flood-of-11-corps-pushed-to-do-more-promises-major-review/
Florida Attorney Demands Shut Down of Cooper Nuclear Station in Nebraska
Updated: 3:57 AM Jul 6, 2011
Brownville, Neb.
Thomas Saporito is a consultant, based out of Florida. He said with flood water surrounding the plant, a nuclear meltdown is bound to happen. Saporito wants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, to take swift action.
Saporito is afraid a meltdown will mirror the horrible one in Japan. He claims if the water rises anymore - it'll cause a dominoe affect.
That effect will shut down the Off-Site Power and the Emergency Diesel Generator. In turn, he said the water will be contaminated.
Saporito said the plant should be shut down immediately .He wants the NRC to pull the plug and charge Cooper Nuclear a fine of $1-million.
"Cooper Nuclear Station is operating safely and the site is built 13 feet above natural grade. In addition, the stations design protects the plant from these flood waters. We've also taken additional measures to protect against even higher river levels" - Jeanne Scheiffer, Corporate Communications, Nebraska Public Power District.
"They've already played their hand out and showed the public a flagrant disregard for public health and safety, in the dire consequences the place is facing right now," Saporito said.
On the flip side of that coin, the NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko recently visited the plant and said he saw no immediate threat.
10/11 spoke with reps from the Nebraska Public Power District. It owns Cooper Nuclear.
They said if waters surrounding the plant reach 45. 5 feet, they have to shut it down. As it stands, flood waters are at 42. 3 feet.
Governor Dave Heineman said this:
"The Chairman of the NRC was here about a week or 10 days ago. He said it was safe. Executive Leadership of both those plants said that, so I trust their judgement. We're going to monitor it very very closely."
The NRC's Public Review Board will hold a public hearing on Saporito findings. From there it could go to the NRC.
Saporito is afraid a meltdown will mirror the horrible one in Japan. He claims if the water rises anymore - it'll cause a dominoe affect.
That effect will shut down the Off-Site Power and the Emergency Diesel Generator. In turn, he said the water will be contaminated.
Saporito said the plant should be shut down immediately .He wants the NRC to pull the plug and charge Cooper Nuclear a fine of $1-million.
"Cooper Nuclear Station is operating safely and the site is built 13 feet above natural grade. In addition, the stations design protects the plant from these flood waters. We've also taken additional measures to protect against even higher river levels" - Jeanne Scheiffer, Corporate Communications, Nebraska Public Power District.
"They've already played their hand out and showed the public a flagrant disregard for public health and safety, in the dire consequences the place is facing right now," Saporito said.
On the flip side of that coin, the NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko recently visited the plant and said he saw no immediate threat.
10/11 spoke with reps from the Nebraska Public Power District. It owns Cooper Nuclear.
They said if waters surrounding the plant reach 45. 5 feet, they have to shut it down. As it stands, flood waters are at 42. 3 feet.
Governor Dave Heineman said this:
"The Chairman of the NRC was here about a week or 10 days ago. He said it was safe. Executive Leadership of both those plants said that, so I trust their judgement. We're going to monitor it very very closely."
The NRC's Public Review Board will hold a public hearing on Saporito findings. From there it could go to the NRC.
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Advocate_Demands_Shut_Down_of_Cooper_Nuclear_125044024.html
RadiationNetwork.com
Updated in real time every minute. This is the first web site where the average citizen (or anyone in the world) can see what radiation levels are anywhere in the USA at any time
NOAA Hydrologic - Water Level at Gavins Point Dam, near Ft. Calhoun and Cooper Nuclear Plants
(The following link takes a bit to load all data)
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/river.php?wfo=oax&wfoid=18705&riverid=203276&view=1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1%2C1&toggles=10%2C7%2C8%2C2%2C9%2C15%2C6&pt[]=141614&pt[]=144183&pt[]=142396&pt[]=143355&allpoints=143990%2C145585%2C145025%2C145026%2C144876%2C145027%2C143234%2C143184%2C145519%2C145640%2C144217%2C142150%2C142780%2C142853%2C145202%2C141586%2C144582%2C143543%2C144796%2C144098%2C144240%2C141320%2C141614%2C142968%2C144183%2C142574%2C143478%2C142193%2C142760%2C142003%2C142610%2C142396%2C144496%2C147345%2C141899%2C143355%2C142050%2C141570%2C144165%2C143476%2C141703%2C142023%2C144123%2C141863%2C143539%2C143436%2C141917%2C143009%2C142688%2C142640%2C143925%2C143734%2C142729%2C141978%2C143579%2C143348%2C142822&data[]=all&submit=Make+my+River+Page%21#bron1
BLAIR, NEBRASKA NEAR FT. CALHOUN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
BROWNVILLE, NE - NEAR COOPER NUCLEAR PLANT
RESERVOIR CONTROL CENTER REPORTS
The following is the latest Reservoir Readings on the Upper Missouri River. This report is updated daily. Click on the picture for today's readings in reference to Gavins Point Dam, Ft. Randall Dam in SD, Big Bend Dam in SD, Oahe Dam in SD, Garrison Dam in ND and Fort Peck in Mt.
Link to daily report:
http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/showrep.cgi?3MRDTAP7Link to daily report:
The Cave's Archive: NW DIVISION OF THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESERVOIR CONTROL CENTER DAILY REPORT
Link: THE CAVE'S OVERFLOW - Archive of the Cave's Daily Flood of 2011 Updates
