Cleanups Continue in Western North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Cleanup is wrapping up on one large oil spill in western North Dakota while work will continue for at least another week on a separate release near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.

North Dakota Water Quality Director Dennis Fewless says almost 34,000 gallons of crude that spilled from a broken oil pipeline near Alexander last week is nearly cleaned up. He says more than 225 large dump truck loads of oil-tainted soil have been removed.

Fewless says cleanup of a 1,400-gallon spill at an oil well swamped by floodwaters near Williston this month will take more time.

Most of the spill was contained. But Fewless says that as floodwaters receded, the oil left a "bathtub ring" on brush, trees and grass that is difficult to clean.