Exxon’s response to Yellowstone oil leak: slow and lacking substance
You’d think the oil giant would know how to respond to a leak, but its response to a recent spill in Montana suggests otherwise.
Since the spill on July 1, the oil giant has been slow to react with substantive, timely responses. Yes, the company has a tab on its website dedicated to the spill, and it has been using @exxonmobil Twitter for responses, but the content is limited. Press releases have only minor updates, especially given the coverage of the 1,000-barrel leak.
It’s still unclear what happened, or how long crude spilled into the river, or how much of the river is affected.
People are starting to notice.
The news media are reporting that Exxon Mobil took almost an hour to seal the pipeline after the accident. That’s almost twice as long as Exxon had publicly stated.
Exxon has offered a clarification from its earlier estimate that the leak’s impact was limited to a 10-mile stretch of the river. This comes after the company softened reports from Montana officials that damage was spread over dozens of miles.
On Wednesday, the media reported that transportation officials said oil was seen observed as far downstream as 240 miles from the leak.
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