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Ruptured Montana Pipeline Poisons Locals and Wildlife
For 56 minutes, a ruptured pipeline gushed oil into Montana's Yellowstone River before Exxon shut it off. A total of approximately 1,000 barrels of crude oil flooded the river on Friday, July 1st, 2011, and Montana governor Brian Schweitzer is not happy about it.
"The state of Montana is going to stay on [Exxon] like the smell on a skunk," said Schweitzer. The governor remarked that the state, not Exxon, will decide when the cleanup is done.
Meanwhile, some locals were hospitalized because of dizziness and difficulty breathing from the fumes. Others were evacuated from their homes due to the incident.
How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
Weitz & Luxenberg is accepting cases to help those who have faced drastic financial losses and pain and suffering as a result of the Yellowstone oil spill.
We have been helping people in your situation for over twenty years. We provided (and continue to provide) legal support to those affected by the Gulf oil spill. Robin Greenwald, head of our Environmental Unit, worked on the Exxon Bayway, NJ, ruptured pipeline during her time at the Department of Justice. She also worked on the Colonial Pipeline burst in Greensboro, and as a liaison counsel against Exxon and other petroleum companies in MTBE litigation. She is currently on the BP Plaintiff Steering Committee, and she wants to hear how the ruptured pipeline in Montana affected you.
We can't clean up the spill, but we can provide legal guidance if you have been affected by:
- Property damage
- Evacuation costs
- Severe injuries
- Loss of crops, livestock, or damaged farmland
Simply fill out the form on this page, and we will contact you shortly.
We Understand that You Will Have to Handle Lasting Damage:
"It will be unclear even next spring as to what kind of recovery has taken place," remarked Ronald Kendall, head of the Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University and environmental toxicology department chairman. "It's a very significant amount of oil moving downstream right now, and oil is a toxic substance in itself…a whole suite of organisms, from mink to herons to sturgeon to dragonflies, are going to be affected as waves of oil come through."
The extensive cleanup is not only going to take a toll on the wildlife, but also on the lives of residents. Many residents rely on the environment to earn a living. Those who have been forced to evacuate their homes and/or have had damages to their crops may face extreme financial hardship for as long as it takes to clean up the spill.
Environmental experts state that it may take years for the ecosystem to completely rebound.
How the Spill Affects Your Health:
The health effects of crude oil exposure range short-term exposure conditions such as (1):
- Anemia
- Rapid heart rate
- Edema
- Dizziness
- Confusion
To more severe conditions after a long period of exposure such as (2):
- Cancer
- Birth defects
- Immune and nervous system disorders
- Respiratory problems
- Blood disorders
- Endocrine disruption
- DNA damage
Sources
1: http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=73
2: http://www.experts.com/showArticle.aspx?Articleid=488
http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/49290/group/Montana/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/06/us-oilspill-montana-idUSTRE7646DX20110706
see also:
Exxon Mobil Response Time
Exxon Mobil response time to oil pipeline rupture twice as long as officials initially claimedExxon Mobil's response time to the burst Montana Pipeline is subject to controversy. Visit Weitz & Luxenberg to learn more about your legal options.
File a Lawsuit
If you live near the burst Montana pipeline, a lawsuit can help you survive economicallyIf you were affected by the burst Pipeline in Montana, we can help you file a suit to receive compensation for your loss.
Montana Oil Spill
The Exxon Montana Oil Spill of 2011: a Fourth of July disasterMontana Oil Spill: The Exxon Pipeline Rupture Spilled 1000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River. Weitz & Luxenberg can help.
