BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - An oil pipeline company has been fined $1 million for a spill in Montana that released 31,000 gallons into the Yellowstone River and contaminated a city’s water supply in 2015.
The Billings Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2luEoLr ) that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality announced the penalty against Bridger Pipeline LLC on Thursday.
According to the department, $200,000 of the penalty will go to the state’s general fund and $800,000 will fund environmental projects.
A spokeswoman for True Oil, which operates Bridger Pipeline, says the company is prepared to begin working on the projects.
The spill happened after the pipeline split at a weld. Crews recovered less than 10 percent of the oil.
Officials say Wyoming-based Bridger Pipeline has already put money toward cleanup, spill response and equipment for Glendive’s water treatment plant.
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Information from: The Billings Gazette, https://www.billingsgazette.com
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