POWERS LAKE, N.D.-A pipeline near here has spilled about 63,000 gallons of saltwater, and some has reached a lake, according to an update on the accident from the North Dakota Department of Health on Wednesday.
Oasis Petroleum reported a day earlier that one of its pipelines was leaking saltwater.
State Water Quality Director Karl Rockeman said Wednesday that the saltwater had reached Smishek Lake, although it was unclear how much.
The lake is about 75 miles northeast of Williston.
The saltwater or brine is an unwanted byproduct of oil production and is considered an environmental hazard by the state. It is many times saltier than seawater and can easily kill vegetation exposed to it.
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Health department and state Oil and Gas Division employees are at the site assessing the situation.
Rockeman said the lake does not supply area drinking water but that he considers the 63,000-gallon leak, or about 1,500 barrels, "significant."
