Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Rancher sues oil company in ND saltwater spill A rancher is suing an Oklahoma oil company over a pipeline that twice spilled saltwater into a creek and on land where she runs her cattle in northwestern North Dakota. Linda Monson, of Alexander, said nothing but weeds have grown where Zenergy, Inc., of Tulsa, Okla., spilled salty water. "There's nothing growing where they had those spills, and my cows still refuse to drink from the creek," she said. Monson was one of about a dozen ranchers affected by the saltwater spill near Alexander that was discovered in January 2006. The spill has been described as the worst in North Dakota's oil history. The saltwater, a byproduct of oil production, flooded a stock pond and a beaver dam, and flowed into Charbonneau Creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone River. Monson said a similar spill occurred in August 2005 that never was reported to authorities. Saltwater from the pipeline, containing water 10 times as salty as sea water, killed fish, turtles and plants along the creek after both spills, she said....

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