176,000 Gallons Of Oil Spill Just Miles Away From The Standing Rock Protests In North Dakota

The phenomenon that the "water protectors" in Standing Rock that are afraid of just happened. About 176,000 gallons of oil spilled into waterways or creek about 150 miles west of the site of the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota.

The protectors have been protesting about the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. The oil leaked from the Belle Fourche Pipeline in Billings County, 150 miles from Cannon Ball in North Dakota. This was the place where protesters fought against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, according to Science Alert.

RT *ALERT*
Major oil spill in North Dakota!
176,000 gallons of oil spilled at North Dakota pipeline https://t.co/rDMiNIHVYM

— bobbie macione (@RageAganstSystm) December 13, 2016

Tara Houska, a Native American environmental activist who is involved in the protests, said that the spill gives further credence to their position that pipelines are not safe. She further said that the oil companies' interest is on their profit margins, not public safety.

An environmentalist scientist from the North Dakota Department of Health said that about 130,200 gallons spilled into the Ash Coulee Creek. Meanwhile, 46,200 gallons spilled onto the nearby hillside. Currently, it is not known yet the cause of the rupture of the pipe and how long it has been leaking.

Futurism reports that the pipeline's safety measures could not prevent the leak, and the system that could detect it also failed to issue proper warnings. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II said that they can say they have all the latest technologies to safeguard against a leak. But when that leak happens, and it will, all those safeguards will go out the window.

Meanwhile, some people believe that this spill could serve as a call-to-action against fossil fuels anywhere on Earth, according to Dallas Goldtooth, a member of the Dakota Nation. He further said that this should encourage everyone who believes in protecting Mother Earth that humans need to examine and critique each fossil fuel project that is being put on the table.