In wake of record saltwater spill, North Dakota Democrats to revisit rejected monitoring bill

Following the largest saltwater spill of North Dakota's current oil boom, state Democratic lawmakers say they will revisit measures overwhelmingly rejected two years ago that would mandate additional monitoring and safeguards.

Cleanup was underway after nearly 3 million gallons of brine leaked from a pipeline near Williston. It affected two creeks, but the full environmental impact wasn't clear.

Some previous spills of saltwater, a salty, toxic byproduct of oil and natural gas production, are still being cleaned up years later.

House Assistant Minority leader Cory Mock told The Associated Press on Thursday that Democrats plan to introduce legislation by Monday that would require flow meters and cutoff switches on pipelines that carry oilfield wastewater.

Operator Summit Midstream Partners had said a contractor would be on site Thursday, assessing the damage.