Phillips 66 Company reported a crude oil spill at a rail loading facility they operate in Mountrail County about a mile southwest of Palermo, North Dakota.
Bill Suess is Spill investigation manager for the Division of Water Quality at the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. He says 286 barrels, or over 12 thousand gallons of oil was spilled, with some of the spill entering a wetland in the facility.
"They are going to have to pump down the wetland. They are probably going to have to pump it completely out and then let it naturally recharge. Sometimes with these, they'll have to pump it out two or three times begore they get everything out. But, no, with crude oil, it won't have a long term effect."
Suess says the spill is still being contained and the cause of the spill is under investigation.
"It's always a possibility that these things can happen. North Dakota has some brutal weather and it's hard on equipment and never underestimate the ability of people to make mistakes."