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madokie

(51,076 posts) Sat Oct 12, 2013, 08:44 AM Oct 2013

North Dakota waits 11 days to tell public about oil spill

BISMARCK, N.D. -— When a pipeline rupture sent more than 20,000 barrels of crude spewing across a North Dakota wheat field, it took nearly two weeks for officials to tell the public about it.

The break in a Tesoro Corp. pipeline happened in a remote area, and officials say no water was contaminated or wildlife hurt. But environmentalists are skeptical and say it's an example of a boom industry operating too cozily with state regulators.

"It shows an attitude of our current state government and what they think of the public," said Don Morrison, executive director of the Dakota Resource Council, an environmental-minded landowner group with more than 700 members in North Dakota.

"It's definitely worrisome. There is a pattern in current state government to not involve the public."

The North Dakota Health Department was told about the spill on Sept. 29, after a farmer whose combine's tires were coated in crude discovered oil spewing and gurgling from the ground. Although the state initially thought just 750 barrels of oil was involved, it turned out to be one of the largest spills in North Dakota history — an estimated 20,600 barrels over 7.3 acres of land, or about the size of seven football fields.

Link: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/north-dakota-waits-days-to-tell-public-about-oil-spill/article_edbf9a40-945a-526b-8e3a-5131847b91d9.html

13 replies

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North Dakota waits 11 days to tell public about oil spill (Original Post) madokie Oct 2013 OP

I believe beachbum bob Oct 2013 #1

so 20,000 barrels and no damage dembotoz Oct 2013 #2

865,200 gallons of muck..... Historic NY Oct 2013 #7

And how well will that farmer's field produce for him? Bibliovore Oct 2013 #9

Now THEY, Inc. want to shove the freaking Keysone XL pipeline further down the planetary throat Berlum Oct 2013 #3

look, it was in a remote area onethatcares Oct 2013 #4

I lived in North Dakota for 45 years. RC Oct 2013 #5

This is exactly the type of non-government dotymed Oct 2013 #12

The bright side of Keystone? When it inevitably leaks it will not be ignorable for 11 days. marble falls Oct 2013 #6

Kind of like the Soviets waiting to tell the public about the Chernobyl disaster Snake Plissken Oct 2013 #8

hopefully it is right near the new Aryan town Doctor_J Oct 2013 #10

Good one... IthinkThereforeIAM Oct 2013 #11

Did they hold it off to not ruin Mike Ditka's christening of that new oil patch? freshwest Oct 2013 #13

beachbum bob

(10,437 posts)

1. I believe

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 08:52 AM

Oct 2013

Republicans control ND and this is pretty much their mindset in protecting and notifying the public.

dembotoz

(16,864 posts)

2. so 20,000 barrels and no damage

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 09:16 AM

Oct 2013

uh huh

Historic NY

(37,456 posts)

7. 865,200 gallons of muck.....

Reply to dembotoz (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 10:44 AM

Oct 2013

yup no problem.

Roberts says cleanup crews have been on site since September and have recovered about 1,165 barrels of oil. A barrel is 42 gallons. The recovered oil amounts to about 50,000 gallons of oil from an area spanning the size of about seven football fields.

Thats not even a fraction....

Bibliovore

(185 posts)

9. And how well will that farmer's field produce for him?

Reply to dembotoz (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 11:15 AM

Oct 2013

How many years will his yields be down because of this? Is he eligible for any sort of compensation?

Berlum

(7,044 posts)

3. Now THEY, Inc. want to shove the freaking Keysone XL pipeline further down the planetary throat

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 09:30 AM

Oct 2013

What could possibly go wrong?

?w=512

onethatcares

(16,194 posts)

4. look, it was in a remote area

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 09:58 AM

Oct 2013

it's not gonna hurt a thing.

It's not like it happened in a gated community or anything like that.

RC

(25,592 posts)

5. I lived in North Dakota for 45 years.

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 10:42 AM

Oct 2013

Trying to cover up the oil spill would be normal. The Republicans do control the state and the citizens, the out-raged public are often times a irritation they have to put up with.
Two weeks? The powers that be probably knew about it shortly after it was noticed and called some quite meetings in violation of North Dakota's Open Meeting Law. There is most defiantly a pattern of not involving the public in "government business".

dotymed

(5,610 posts)

12. This is exactly the type of non-government

Reply to RC (Reply #5)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 11:37 AM

Oct 2013

that the elites were "entitled" to in the lead- up to the Great Depression.
We are almost there, many people say that we already are and they have the numbers to prove it.

Unless we unite and descend upon Washington peacefully (of course we will be the only peaceful ones) and unconditionally demand
(and occupy D.C. until it happens), we will get nowhere.
We are dealing with sociopathic Robber Barons who believe that we are their property.
Maybe there is a better way, we have to UNITE as THE People in a land where majority rules and change it all.
Our government does not work for us.
Luckily we do have a few political leaders who can help US change things.
This will never happen unless we remove money from politics. Obviously to everyone, "our" SCOTUS furthered the elite coup by ratifying "Citizens United."

We can not do anything unless we seize the institutions created for "WE the People."
Here I sit....

marble falls

(57,373 posts)

6. The bright side of Keystone? When it inevitably leaks it will not be ignorable for 11 days.

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 10:42 AM

Oct 2013

Snake Plissken

(4,103 posts)

8. Kind of like the Soviets waiting to tell the public about the Chernobyl disaster

Reply to madokie (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 10:46 AM

Oct 2013

except they only waited two days,

I wouldn't expect anything less from the Neo Cons, they're the new Soviets who looking to turn the United States into a Oligarchy