"U.S. Agency Orders Corrective Action For North Dakota Oil Spill"

"U.S. pipeline regulators on Wednesday ordered Belle Fourche Pipeline Co to improve leak detection, along with other actions, after a Dec. 5 incident that spilled about 4,200 barrels of oil in North Dakota.

Of that total, an estimated 3,100 barrels of crude oil entered the Ash Coulee Creek near Belfield, North Dakota. That oil has been contained. As of Tuesday, an estimated 1,805 barrels had been recovered from the creek, which flows into a tributary of the Missouri River.

The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action order to Belle Fourche, which is owned by True Cos. Besides improving leak detection, the company must enhance patrols and remediate any pipeline in unstable land areas before resuming operations."

Liz Hampton reports for Reuters December 21, 21, 2016.