× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

The State Health Department’s spill investigation team was out in blustery conditions Monday and Tuesday, working to contain an oil pipeline spill that has impacted about 2.5 miles of the Ash Coulee Creek and a tributary creek in the badlands.

The spill, of so-far unknown volume, was detected Monday morning by a nearby landowner. Spill investigation program manager Bill Suess said containment booms at five locations were set up at the creek and a skimmer dam that catches oil on the water’s surface was established Tuesday. The spill location is about 16 miles northwest of Belfield.

The pipeline operator is Belle Fourche Pipeline Co., which has a record of 15 spills dating back to 2000, ranging from two barrels to 300 barrels in several oil patch counties, according to department records.

Following news of the spill, the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota, an organization that represents skilled construction workers including many working on the Dakota Access Pipeline, urged North Dakota state officials to provide stronger oversight of True Companies' pipelines, of which Belle Fourche is a part.