Joe's fears are not unfounded or did you forget about Prince William Sound and the Exxon Valdeze?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
While the EPA may not be at fault here other parts of the government and courts are. Exxon passed the cost on to the insurance companies as well as you and I.
Back to the case at hand. 1,000+ barrels of
crude oil is very damaging to the environment no matter how high the flow rate of the river! Crude oil is not a finished product or distillate therefore it does not dilute near as easily nor does it evaporate as rapidly. Take a look at this report:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/03...est=latestnews
Even if the damage is limited to the Billings area the environmental and economical impact will not be good. As far as what Company, state or federal types say I personally don't trust them any further than I could pick them up and throw them.