Cleanup of North Dakota saltwater spill could last weeks

MANDAREE, N.D. – Company officials say cleanup efforts are expected to take weeks after a pipeline on North Dakota’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation leaked around 1 million gallons of saltwater.

Some of the brine found its way to a tributary of a lake that provides drinking water to the reservation. Tribal and company officials say the leak near Mandaree has been isolated and drinking water is unaffected.

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Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall tells The Associated Press that the underground pipeline owned by Aero Pipeline LCC leaked about 24,000 barrels, or about 1 million gallons. The company says the leak started over the weekend and was discovered Tuesday.

Aero Pipeline is a subsidiary of Houston-based Crestwood Midstream Partners.

Saltwater is a byproduct of oil production that’s 10 to 30 times saltier than seawater.