90,600 Barrels of Contaminant Spilled From Oil Well

A "substantial" oil spill occurred approximately 5 miles west of the Frazer/Richland Road, Lustre Grain East Road Junction.

According to tribal sources, the spill was reported to the Tribes' Office of Environmental Protection (OEP) on Friday, April 27, 2018. The spill was spotted by a cattle farmer doing a flyover in the area. The exact date the leak occurred is unknown. The well had been shut-in in late December 2017.

Wilfred Lambert of the Fort Peck Tribes OEP, along with officials from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) initially estimate that 600 barrels of oil and 90,000 barrels of production water, also known as brine, were released from the well.

Clean up and assessment are being handled by the Fort Peck Tribes and Environmental Protection Agency with support from the BLM.

More information will be in May 9 Glasgow Courier.