And no, we’re not just talking about the fact that Trump has put plans for the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline back in motion. A pipeline, less than three hours from Standing Rock, has leaked and spilled a massive amount of oil into the surrounding waterways and land. This oil spill proves that the Dakota Access Pipeline is a real threat to both water and human safety in North Dakota.
The Details of the Spill
The Belle Fourche Pipeline in Billings Count is about two and a half hours away from the protests at Standing Rock. In December, a massive oil spill was discovered from a leak in the Belle Fourche Pipeline. The leak spilled over 176,000 gallons of oil that spread over seven kilometers from the source of the leak. Of the 176,000 gallons, 130,200 gallons leaked into the Little Missouri River and 46,000 gallons leaked onto a nearby hillside. By mid December, only 37,000 gallons of the spilled oil had been cleaned up. The North Dakota Department of Health confirmed the spill had occurred on two separate occasions in December.
This isn’t the first time there has been an oil spill in the area. Since 2011, the Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. has reported 10 oil spills. And the company that owns the Belle Fourche Pipeline, True Companies, has a history of oil spills. In 2015, the Poplar Pipeline, owned and operated by True Companies, leaked 30,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River. Drinking water to over 6000 residents had to be shut down.
Causes and Effects of the Spill
The Belle Fourche Pipeline leak was discovered by a local passing by and not by the electronic monitoring in place along the pipeline. This is especially frightening as who knows how long the pipeline would have continued leaking if a local hadn’t stumbled upon it? What’s worse, the Belle Fourche Pipeline company is still not certain what caused the leak and exactly when it occurred. With so much uncertainty and instability in monitoring pipelines, it’s no wonder Standing Rock residents are nervous. A spokesperson from Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. told reporters they believe the leak may have occurred when a hillside slumped due to the increased snowfall. However, the spokesperson also said they were not 100% certain of the cause, had several theories, and would be conducting an investigation. So at best, the leak was caused by an inevitable part of winter in North Dakota and at worst, the company behind the pipeline has no idea what caused the massive oil spill.
Luckily, the Belle Fourche Pipeline is not connected to any drinking sources, unlike the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. This recent spill will not affect drinking water for local residents but it has claimed the lives of livestock and the environmental effects of the spill are numerous. Let’s not forget the numerous resources needed to effectively clean the area and repair the leak.
What This Means for Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline
This latest leak in Billings County combined with the history of oil spills and faulty systems for catching and repairing the leaks is proof enough that Standing Rock residents have a real reason to be concerned. Their drinking water is absolutely at risk. In December, Standing Rock protesters and Water Protectors won a decisive victory when the US Department of the Army announced it would not approve the Dakota Access pipeline to be built passing under the Missouri River. However, that victory is about to be erased thanks to the incredibly uninformed and irrational politics and beliefs of Donald Trump. In his first week as President, Trump took executive action to encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to override the environmental review and concerns of citizens and to speed up construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This was only one of the dangerous executive actions Trump took in week one of his presidency. Standing Rock is once again at risk and they need our help and our voices to stand up for their right to access clean drinking water.