Governor Brian Schweitzer vowed to cling to Exxon Mobil to get the company clean up the oil spill over the weekend that fouled the Yellowstone River in Montana.
The 12-inch pipeline ruptured on Friday night, 150 miles downstream from the Yellowstone National Park dumping up to 42,000 gallons of crude oil.
The leak was detected by Exxon on Saturday morning and was shut down within seven minutes according to the company.
Federal documents show it took Exxon Mobil nearly twice as long as it publicly disclosed to fully seal a pipeline that spilled roughly 1,000 barrels of crude oil into the Yellowstone River.
An absorbent boom is placed after an oil spill along the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Montana, July 5, 2011. An Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured on Friday night about 150 miles downstream from Yellowstone National Park near the town of Laurel, Montana, just southwest of Billings, dumping up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil into the flood-swollen river.REUTERSAn emergency response crew hired by Exxon Mobil clean up an oil spill with an absorbent boom along the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Montana, July 5, 2011. An Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured on Friday night about 150 miles downstream from Yellowstone National Park near the town of Laurel, Montana, just southwest of Billings, dumping up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil into the flood-swollen river.REUTERSEmergency response crew hired by Exxon Mobil clean up an oil spill along the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Montana, July 5, 2011. An Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured on Friday night about 150 miles downstream from Yellowstone National Park near the town of Laurel, Montana, just southwest of Billings, dumping up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil into the flood-swollen river.REUTERSOil mixed with water from an oil spill along the Yellowstone River is pictured in Laurel, Montana, July 5, 2011. An Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured on Friday night about 150 miles downstream from Yellowstone National Park near the town of Laurel, Montana, just southwest of Billings, dumping up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil into the flood-swollen river.REUTERSExxon Mobil Engineer Eric Julian inspects oil residue on the property of Jim Swanson in Laurel, Montana, July 5, 2011. An Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured on Friday night about 150 miles downstream from Yellowstone National Park near the town of Laurel, Montana, just southwest of Billings, dumping up to 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil into the flood-swollen river.REUTERS
