Foul Smelling Fumes With Dangerous Health Risks Wafting From The Yellowstone Oil Spill

A lot of people that both live and work along the banks of the Yellowstone River are reporting concerns about noxious smells coming from the water. People have noticed “a strong odor” along the river, and the backwaters near where the pipeline ruptured, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Yellowstone River oil spill cleanup. Photo courtesy of KLS Broadcasting, Salt Lake City, UT.

“If you are smelling a gas-station-like odor, you may be smelling volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. The VOCs in oil are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene,” says the agency. Odors from these chemicals can cause health problems including: headaches, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

If people smell these odors near their homes, they’re advised to immediately close their doors and windows, turn on their air conditioners (set to recirculating mode, if it’s an option), and notify local authorities to find out what other actions they can take. If people are feeling sick in any way from the fumes, they need to be taken to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible for treatment.

Also nearby residents need to be cautious of any odd smells or tastes coming from the water they drink, which can also cause symptoms including: headaches, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

In addition, people need to careful of their pet’s water, and make sure that when their pets are outside, that they don’t get into any contaminated areas. Also, if pets get any contaminated water on them, wash it off immediately with soap and water.

The Exxon-owned pipeline broke on the first of this month, spilling crude oil into the river about 20 miles upstream of a Billings, Mont. Exxon estimates that about 1,000 barrels of oil entered the river – at flood stage – before the pipeline could be turned off.

The Silvertip Pipeline is a 12-inch pipeline about 69 miles in length, and transports crude oil from the Silvertip station in Elk Basin, Wyo. to an ExxonMobil Refinery in Billings.

The EPA says that cleanup is happening in stages, without giving any particular timelines. Right now, the focus is from Laurel to Duck Creek Bridge to Johnson Lane, where responders have identified the most oil-impacted areas. The cleanup will then continue to Miles City and going to Glendive.

To help answer questions and concerns from the public, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has opened an office in Billings that can be contacted at 406-657-0231.

Exxon has also setup a claims hotline, 888-382-0043, to assist people impacted by the spill, and for those that want to assist in the clean up by reporting oil in their area. The company has also set up a wildlife hotline, 800-259-0596, for the public to report any signs of impacted wildlife that are in need of rescue.

Right now, Exxon says that it doesn’t know what caused the pipeline to break, which had met “all of the regulatory requirements,” when last inspected in December 2010.

Reader comments and input are always welcomed!