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A Continental Resources pipeline leaked over 3 million gallons of produced water in Williams County on Monday, marking one of the state’s larger spills. The saltwater waste, which can contain oil and drilling chemicals, flowed into an unnamed creek near Epping. Officials have recovered 134,400 gallons so far and isolated the pipeline. The spill appears contained within berms and hasn’t reached a nearby reservoir or affected drinking water. The cause remains unknown. While significant, it’s far smaller than North Dakota’s largest produced water spill – 29 million gallons from a Summit Midstream pipeline in 2014-15 that resulted in $35 million in fines and penalties.
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