Company says cleanup efforts could last weeks after saltwater spill at ND reservation

Company officials say cleanup efforts are expected to take weeks after a pipeline on North Dakota's Fort Berthold Indian Reservation leaked around 1 million gallons of saltwater.

Some of the brine found its way to a tributary of a lake that provides drinking water to the reservation. Tribal and company officials say the leak near Mandaree has been isolated and drinking water is unaffected.

Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall tells The Associated Press that the underground pipeline owned by Aero Pipeline LCC leaked about 24,000 barrels, or about 1 million gallons. The company says the leak started over the weekend and was discovered Tuesday.

Aero Pipeline is a subsidiary of Houston-based Crestwood Midstream Partners.

Saltwater is a byproduct of oil production that's 10 to 30 times saltier than seawater.