Rising river threatens oil spill cleanup

LAUREL, Mont. -- Crews responsible for cleaning up an oil spill on the Yellowstone River faced difficult conditions yesterday as the scenic waterway rose above flood stage and raised fears that surging currents will push crude into undamaged areas and back channels vital to the river's prized fishery.

Conditions on the swollen river have prevented a thorough assessment and hampered efforts to find the cause of Friday's break in Exxon Mobil's Silvertip pipeline, which spilled about 1,000 barrels of crude oil. The river was flowing too high and swiftly for crews to reach some oiled areas, and forecasters said mountain snowmelt was adding to the high water levels.

Tuesday, federal pipeline safety regulators said Exxon Mobil must make safety fixes to its ruptured pipeline and submit a restart plan before oil can flow again there. The Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration also ordered the company to rebury the pipeline segment and do a risk study where it crosses waterways.

Much of the riverbank also is covered with dense underbrush, making it difficult to walk long portions of shoreline. Most observations have been made through aerial flights. Officials have speculated that the surge may push pools of oil into areas that haven't yet been damaged.

One riverfront homeowner, Robert Castleberry, said he had been out of his house since Saturday because of dangerous fumes from oil that the river pushed across his yard and into the crawl space under his house.

Castleberry, 64, said his wife, who has heart disease, was having difficulty breathing because of the fumes. He said he appreciated Exxon Mobil's promise to cover the couple's immediate expenses, yet the retired fuel truck driver doubted workers would be able to clean up the black, gooey film that laced through the underbrush for miles along the river. "Exxon's been nothing but 100 percent with us," he said. "But when you get into brush that thick, that's going to be virtually impossible to clean."

Company and federal officials said they have only seen oil about 25 miles downstream from the site of the break near Laurel, but Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said he believes some has traveled hundreds of miles to North Dakota. "I'm asking everyone to get out there and report what you see on the river," he said. With Reuters