The Navajo Nation is dealing with the aftermath of an oil spill that almost reached a tributary to the San Juan River.
Tribal officials are monitoring the clean-up effort at Standing Redrock Creek, according to KOB 4. The spill occurred when Capitol Operating Group "had a release from a corroded pipeline between the saltwater tank and an injection well." An estimated 80 barrels of contaminated brine water were released from the pipeline in Red Valley.
"We continue to monitor the situation together and we will continue to hold the responsible party, the Capitol Group, accountable and ensure that they provide the highest level of remediation as a result of the spill that occurred," Jonathan Nez, Navajo Nation president, said in a statement obtained by KOB 4.
Tribal officials said the contaminated water contained oil, brine, and saltwater that traveled more than three miles through unnamed drainage to the Standing Redrock Creek, KOB 4 reported. Any runoff from monsoon rains will be collected by berms and absorbent pads that were placed throughout the creek.
Continued remediation will include replacing the pipeline, treating the release site and unnamed drainage, and collecting the contaminated soil in the creek bed, according to KOB 4. The work is expected to continue into next week.
The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States. It is comprised of approximately 16 million acres – approximately 25,000 square miles – close to the size of the state of West Virginia.