BISMARCK, N.D., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- North Dakota officials say they are eyeing policy changes after it took 11 days for residents to learn of one of the largest oil spills in the state's history.
A Sept. 29 break in a pipeline spilled 20,600 barrels of oil onto a wheat field in Tioga, the Bismarck Tribune reported Tuesday.
The public was unaware of the incident for nearly two weeks because the spill was initially believed to be only 750 barrels.
Members of several state departments met with the governor's staff Tuesday about the spill.
Lynn Helms, director of the state's oil and gas division, said the pipeline fell under federal jurisdiction and "was exempted from most the monitoring and testing requirements."
North Dakota does not require oil companies to notify the public of any spills, but Helms said "we're looking at some of those other triggers, such as overall volume."
Don Morrison, executive director of the Dakota Resource Council, said better communication about any spill was needed to avoid creating distrust with members of the public.
He said the spill demonstrated that equipment such as leak detection systems and automatic shut-off valves should be installed on all pipelines, devices that have been rejected by the Legislature.
David Glatt of the North Dakota Health Department said local officials were told of the spill but the information "just didn't get out to the general public."
Glatt said no decisions were made at the meeting, adding ways of improving public communications about spills will also be considered.
