Meadowlark Update

Steve Newby Provides Update on Cleanup and Remediation Efforts in Williston, North Dakota


August 14, 2015- I am providing an update on the status of our remediation efforts following the rupture of a four inch produced water pipeline owned by Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC, in early January, near Williston, North Dakota.


As part of this update, I would like to reinforce our full commitment to addressing and completing three key priorities: (1) ensuring successful cleanup and remediation efforts; (2) addressing the needs of impacted landowners; and (3) determining the cause of the rupture.  I also want to give you a summary of the tremendous progress we’ve made toward achieving these objectives.


Constructive dialogue and coordination continues with North Dakota state and local government officials.  As expected, variable weather conditions coupled with evolving groundwater and surface water conditions have made restoration of the impacted natural resources a challenge.  That being said, our team of dedicated employees, landowners, contractors and state officials continues to optimize our remediation efforts allowing us to make significant progress.  Below you will find a quick summary of measures taken to date: 

  • We currently have 70 interceptor trenches (ITs) and sumps located strategically along Blacktail Creek.  These ITs essentially serve two functions – 1) recovering concentrated saltwater from the shallow groundwater and 2) providing hydraulic control to protect Blacktail Creek and downstream waterways.
  • Meadowlark has transported 1,015,478 barrels of surface and groundwater from the Blacktail Creek watershed.  To put this into perspective, this volume is equivalent to one acre of land under 131 feet of water.
  • We have installed 5 dams in strategic locations along Blacktail Creek to control stream flow and to assist with remediation efforts.
  • In an effort to isolate the contaminated groundwater, we constructed an 800 feet long hydraulic control wall coupled with 8 extraction wells.
  • To better understand the hydrology of the groundwater along Blacktail Creek, we have installed 24 monitoring wells and 13 piezometers.
  • The recovery and clean-up related to hydrocarbons has been largely completed.  Active clean-up measures concluded in June, and we continue to monitor the creek to ensure that no additional hydrocarbon impacts are observed.
  • We also continue to work with landowners east of Highway 85 in an effort to gain access and to further our groundwater remediation efforts downstream.


As you can see, an extraordinary amount of work has been done by Meadowlark.  Evaluations and studies by our consultants have shown that our efforts are paying off.  Electromagnetic (EM) surveys of the site were taken in February, April and July.  These surveys measure electric conductivity of groundwater.  Chlorides, a large component of produced water in North Dakota, are conductive and are the main focus of our remedial efforts.  The July EM survey showed that our footprint of contamination west of Highway 85 has shrunk dramatically, and that our recovery and remediation actions are very effective. We are also encouraged by recently completed ecological studies, which indicate that the ecological impacts of the incident were limited to Blacktail Creek, and suggest that there are no long-term impacts to public health or area wildlife.


As we continue our efforts to remediate the contaminated water at the site, we are also focusing on soil remediation.  As part of our long-term clean-up strategy, we are beginning soil washing in areas immediately affected by the rupture.  We also expect to dispose of over 4,000 cubic yards of impacted dirt and material.


We are also beginning surface reclamation efforts in those areas affected by our vast and immediate initial spill response.


We are committed to determining the cause of the rupture and continue to investigate when and how the rupture occurred. Most importantly, we have implemented several additional measures to manage and monitor our pipeline systems to prevent a recurrence of this type of incident.


While it is clear that our response has had a tremendous impact on the affected area, there is still work to be done.  I remain fully committed to addressing the environmental impacts of this incident, and I will dedicate whatever resources are necessary to see that it happens.  For additional information, including frequently asked questions, please visit Meadowlark’s dedicated incident website at www.MeadowlarkUpdate.com.


I have made safety and environmental stewardship a priority at Summit Midstream.  I will continue this standard at Meadowlark and across all of our assets around the country. 

Regards,

Steve Newby​




Meadowlark Midstream Provides Periodic Update on Cleanup and Remediation Efforts in Williston, North Dakota

EPPING, ND, (May 1, 2015) - As part of an ongoing commitment to provide updates concerning the rupture of a four inch produced water pipeline near Williston, North Dakota earlier this year,  Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC (“Meadowlark”), a subsidiary of Summit Midstream Partners, LLC, is providing a progress update on the cleanup and remediation efforts.  These efforts are concentrated along Blacktail Creek upstream of the confluence with the Little Muddy River.  Meadowlark continues to work closely and in full cooperation with both State and Federal regulatory agencies.

Specific cleanup and remediation efforts utilized to address hydrocarbon impacts along Blacktail Creek include:

  • Initial placement of containment booms, and snares to prevent sheen from migrating downstream;
  • Removal and disposal of contaminated soil from the rupture site;
  • Installation of three underflow dams immediately downstream of the rupture location to aid in the collection of hydrocarbons and to prevent downstream migration;
  • Use of mop skimmers to accelerate the removal of surface hydrocarbons behind containment booms in Blacktail Creek;
  • Removal of hydrocarbon impacted ice near the rupture location to prevent possible transport of hydrocarbons downstream during the spring thaw;
  • Strategically placed oil shark fencing to collect minor surface water sheening, unable to be captured by containment boom;
  • Cutting and bagging of hydrocarbon impacted vegetation along Blacktail Creek, as well as collection of loose leaf litter and other hydrocarbon impacted vegetative debris.


To date, cleanup efforts to address hydrocarbon impacts along Blacktail Creek have been very successful. Initially these efforts were hampered by the wide scale presence of ice and snow in and along Blacktail Creek. Today, the surface water hydrocarbon impacts have been reduced such that all containment booms in Blacktail Creek have been removed, all impacted ice has been removed, and all hydrocarbon impacted vegetation and debris collected as part of the remediation effort has been removed from the shoreline. Meadowlark is pleased to report that several large stretches of Blacktail Creek require no further treatment to address hydrocarbon impacts, or have been cleaned to the extent where any further treatment methods would cause unnecessary damage to the environment. Meadowlark will continue to monitor Blacktail Creek to address any remaining hydrocarbon impacts.

Additionally, Meadowlark has been working with the State and Federal agencies to conduct shoreline assessments of the Little Muddy River downstream of Blacktail Creek, as well as in the confluence area of the Little Muddy River and Missouri River. Meadowlark is pleased to report that to date, all shoreline assessment activities conducted in these segments have not shown any hydrocarbon impacts as a result of the release in Blacktail Creek.

Specific cleanup and remediation efforts utilized to address chloride contamination along Blacktail Creek continue to progress in a positive manner:

  • Installation of four temporary dams in Blacktail Creek to manage water flow and create collection points for the removal of water showing elevated levels of chloride;
  • Installation of 30 groundwater extraction sumps along Blacktail Creek to remove higher chloride groundwater and to prevent possible migration of groundwater with elevated levels of chloride into Blacktail Creek surface waters;
  • Sampling of surface water at several locations along Blacktail Creek and the Little Muddy River; and water quality analyses both in the “field” using chloride test strips, and by submitting samples to an independent laboratory; 
  • Installation of a subsurface groundwater hydraulic cutoff wall to limit migration of higher chloride groundwater.
  • Installation of 8 extraction wells up gradient of the hydraulic cutoff wall to facilitate groundwater extraction, should higher chloride concentrations be measured at this cutoff location.
  • Installation of 24 groundwater monitoring wells located up gradient and down gradient of the hydraulic cutoff wall. The groundwater monitoring wells will be used to measure groundwater chloride concentrations, groundwater height, and to evaluate the effectiveness of our groundwater extraction efforts.


Meadowlark continues to monitor surface water chloride concentrations at several locations along Blacktail Creek and the Little Muddy River. With respect to Little Muddy River, these measurements continue to indicate that chloride levels, from the confluence of Blacktail Creek downstream to the Missouri River, are within all applicable water quality standards.  With respect to Blacktail Creek, chloride levels in the main channel of the creek have returned to levels at or below the drinking water standards, and have remained at this level since the spring thaw. This significant development in the remediation efforts is in part due to groundwater extraction efforts which have reduced the migration of chloride-impacted groundwater into Blacktail Creek.

Additionally, Meadowlark has completed the installation of a hydraulic cutoff wall on the west side of Highway 85. This cutoff wall forms an underground barrier and is designed to prevent the migration of chloride-impacted groundwater. Meadowlark has also installed a series of groundwater extraction wells up gradient of the hydraulic cutoff wall, which will be used to remove groundwater containing higher levels of chloride. Meadowlark feels that it has the remaining groundwater impacts contained behind the hydraulic cutoff wall, and will be working closely to monitor the effectiveness of this control measure over the coming months.

Meadowlark has made significant progress with their response efforts to date. The focus of the work is now transitioning to long term remediation. Meadowlark is working closely with the North Dakota Department of Health to establish long term remediation objectives, and to establish a clear path forward for this site. This work will include limited surface water sampling, continued groundwater sampling and extraction activities, sediment and soil sampling of Blacktail Creek, and ongoing biological and ecological studies of the affected area.  Meadowlark is committed to the cleanup and long term remediation of this site. Our efforts to date have been very effective at containing the contamination, and we will continue to monitor the site to ensure there is no threat to public health.

 

​Meadowlark Midstream Provides Updates on Cleanup and Remediation Efforts in Williston, North Dakota

EPPING, ND, (February 10, 2015) – Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC (“Meadowlark” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Summit Midstream Partners, LLC, today provided an update on the containment and remediation efforts following the rupture of a four inch produced water pipeline near Williston, North Dakota. 

Rene Casadaban, Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Meadowlark remains focused on addressing three key priorities: (1) ensuring successful cleanup and remediation efforts; (2) addressing the needs of impacted landowners, and (3) determining the cause of the rupture.  We will continue to commit our company’s full resources until all three objectives are met.  As part of our overall effort, we have met with North Dakota officials to communicate and coordinate on our detailed cleanup and remediation plans, as well as pledge our commitment to return the impacted land and waterways to their original state as quickly as possible. We have made significant progress in containing the issue and are transitioning now to implement long term remediation plans in full cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health.”

Specific updates regarding the cleanup progress and remediation efforts include the following:

  • Meadowlark takes samples of the surface water at over 25 locations on Blacktail Creek and Little Muddy River and performs water quality analysis both in the “field” and by sending the sample to an independent laboratory.  The data indicates that levels of chloride have been reduced significantly since the date of discovery of the pipeline rupture.  Meadowlark will continue to monitor the surface water quality and report the results to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
  • Meadowlark has submitted to NDDoH subsurface soil and groundwater investigation plans to further delineate the areas potentially affected by the release of produced water.  Meadowlark has implemented these plans and believes that it has reasonably defined the lateral extent of potential impacts.  Meadowlark has proposed to NDDoH a near-term plan of action to address potentially affected areas.
  • The company continues to believe that there is no health hazard to the public or to private landowners or their water wells.
  • The focus of cleanup and remediation efforts continues to be in the area west of Highway 85, where the greatest impacts were observed. 
  • Wildlife, ecological and biological specialists are monitoring the impacted area and will continue to do so vigilantly through the spring thaw.
  • Since commencing remediation efforts on January 6, 2015, Meadowlark has extracted more than 140,000 barrels of water from Blacktail Creek for disposal. As before, it is likely that a significant amount of this water was freshwater from the creek.
  • Two underflow dams in Blacktail Creek have been constructed and the expectation, weather dependent, is that the remaining dam will be completed in the near term. Additional subsurface containment efforts are also underway.


As previously reported, Meadowlark’s environmental remediation consultant, Stantec, continues to assist with emergency response efforts, near term mitigation measures, and long term remediation.  Stantec will continue to conduct ongoing water and soil testing to ensure that the parameters of the cleanup and remediation efforts are sufficiently comprehensive. This work includes:

  • removal of contaminated water and soil;
  • performing geophysical surveys and push-probe monitoring and sampling to define the extent of any subsurface impacts from the produced water release;
  • utilizing absorbent booms and constructing temporary underflow dams downstream of the pipeline breach location in Blacktail Creek to facilitate removal of saltwater and containment of any entrained hydrocarbons;
  • constructing monitoring wells to delineate the subsurface impacts and evaluate effective subsurface remediation efforts;
  • constructing groundwater interceptor trenches to capture chloride concentrations down gradient of the pipeline breach location before reaching Blacktail Creek;
  • continued surface water sampling and monitoring.


For additional information, including frequently asked questions, please visit Meadowlark’s dedicated incident website at www.MeadowlarkUpdate.com.

About Summit Midstream Partners, LLC

Summit Midstream Partners, LLC is a privately held company that owns, operates and is developing various crude oil, natural gas, and water-related midstream energy infrastructure assets in the Bakken Shale in North Dakota, the DJ Niobrara Shale in Colorado, and the Utica Shale in Ohio.
 
Media Contacts:
Perry Street Communications
Jonathan Morgan (jmorgan@perryst.com)
Jen Sanders (jsanders@perryst.com)
214-965-9955
Source: Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC


******************************************************************


NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION


Meadowlark Midstream Provides Update on Produced Water Release


EPPING, ND, (January 21, 2015) – Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC (“Meadowlark” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Summit Midstream Partners, LLC, today provided an update on the rupture of a four inch produced water pipeline near Williston, North Dakota.  Since learning of the incident on January 6, 2015, the Company has been working closely with government officials and regulators to minimize the impact to affected landowners, control any environmental impact, help ensure containment, and clean up the affected area. The Company initiated a response plan immediately upon learning of the incident, and is committing all resources necessary to fully address and clean up the impact of the produced water release.


Rene Casadaban, Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Meadowlark believes that our success is dependent upon safe, reliable, and environmentally-sound business practices. Our track record is strong in this respect, as is our commitment to serving as good corporate partners in North Dakota. For these reasons, we take this recent incident with the utmost seriousness.  Meadowlark’s full and undivided attention is therefore focused on minimizing and remediating any environmental impacts, ensuring cleanup efforts, and addressing the needs of impacted landowners, regulators, government officials, and other key stakeholders. We will continue to work tirelessly to see that the cleanup is completed and any issues in the surrounding environment are properly addressed, and will provide stakeholders with updates as developments warrant.”


Meadowlark has provided the most recent information from its response plan and ongoing investigation to the North Dakota Department of Health, including:

  • The produced water pipeline was shut-in on January 6, 2015, and the Company is working with third-party experts to determine the cause of the rupture.
  • The Company has contacted local landowners, who are supporting the cleanup efforts.
  • The Company has engaged an experienced consultant, Stantec, to assist with emergency response clean up measures, as well as long-term remediation, to help ensure that conditions in affected areas are properly investigated and addressed in full cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health.
  • Based on a preliminary review of the Company’s metering data, the estimated volume of the produced water released from the ruptured pipeline is approximately 70,000 barrels.  Since commencing remediation efforts on January 6, 2015, approximately 65,000 barrels of water have been extracted from Blacktail Creek.  It is likely that a significant amount of this water was freshwater from the creek and not all produced water.  Sampling data indicates that in general, as expected, chloride concentrations have decreased since the release.  The produced water also contained entrained hydrocarbons.  Initial sampling data indicates that this material has been contained, and the Company is actively removing the material.
  • The Company believes there is no health hazard to the public, and there has been no known impact to wildlife.  Wildlife, aquatic and plant specialists are monitoring the impacted area, and will continue to do so vigilantly through the spring thaw.


Produced water is principally a brine or salty water trapped in reservoir rock and brought up to the surface along with oil or gas during production.  The brine principally contains common salts that are typically found in soil and groundwater at lower concentrations. The most abundant salt is sodium chloride or table salt, though the brine also includes other common minerals such as barium, boron (as in borax soap), calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium. There can also be petroleum hydrocarbons derived from crude oil, as well as trace levels of other elements found in the oil-bearing rock.


For more information, please visit Meadowlark’s dedicated incident website at www.MeadowlarkUpdate.com.


About Summit Midstream Partners, LLC


Summit Midstream Partners, LLC ("Summit Investments") is a privately held company that indirectly owns a 49.5% limited partner interest in Summit Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: SMLP).  Summit Investments owns, operates and is developing various crude oil, natural gas, and water-related midstream energy infrastructure assets in the Bakken Shale in North Dakota, the DJ Niobrara Shale in Colorado, and the Utica Shale in Ohio.


Media Contacts:

Perry Street Communications

Jonathan Morgan (jmorgan@perryst.com)

Jen Sanders (jsanders@perryst.com)

214-965-9955

Source: Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC