ExxonMobil lies about Montana oil spill

The energy giant has been less than forthcoming about an oil spill underneath a Montana riverbed. (That's a nice way of saying they lied.)

Wed, Jul 27 2011 at 9:49 PM

Related Topics:

Oil & Gas, Oil Spill

Photo: Tim Gage/Flickr

I wish I could find this news surprising, but I don't. ExxonMobil lied about an oil pipeline beneath the Yellowstone River in Montana that recently burst and spilled 42,000 gallons of crude oil into the river. For months the energy giant stated that the oil pipeline was buried deep enough to be safe from spills and is now — as is their standard operating procedure in spills — not saying much at all.

Locals flocked to an EPA meeting and complained about fumes from the spill and the anemic response by ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil initially said that the spill lasted no more than a half hour, though DOT records show that the oil was gushing out for twice as long.

As long as we burn oil, oil companies are going to spill it. As long as they keep spilling it, they will keep lying about it.

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