WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, the Dakota Media Group reported that the pipeline spilled 84 gallons of crude oil during the month of April at a pump in the state, according to the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources Ground Water Quality Program.
24 February 2017, 07:45 GMT
The spokesperson for the Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, which is behind the project, said the spill was due to a malfunction during the line-fill process, the report stated.
The Dakota Access pipeline is expected to be in full service by June 1, the report noted.
Native American tribes, including the Standing Rock Sioux, oppose the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline because they claim it threatens sacred territory and vital water resources.
The Dakota Access pipeline transports domestically produced light crude oil from the US state of North Dakota through the states of South Dakota and Iowa into Illinois.