LAUREL – Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer says he believes that oil from a broken pipeline under the Yellowstone River has traveled hundreds of miles into North Dakota.
The Democratic governor said Tuesday that the river was flowing about 7 mph, so it was a given that some oil has reached the state’s eastern neighbor. North Dakota is about 270 miles downstream from the Laurel area, where the break spilled about 1,000 barrels of crude oil into the waterway on Friday.
Schweitzer called on people downstream to report any oil sheens.
Exxon Mobil Corp. and the Environmental Protection Agency say the farthest downstream they’ve seen oil is about 25 miles downstream from the broken line.
The Yellowstone River is expected to rise above flood stage on Tuesday, raising concerns the oil could spread.