Bemidji Crude-Oil Project
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August 1979 photos showing oil contamination at the Bemidji
site immediately following the spill:
![](./smallpics/Early/1979%20Aerial%20photo2.jpg) Aerial view of pipeline break,
north and south oil pools, spray zone, and remediation
efforts.
![](./smallpics/aerial5.jpg) A labeled
aerial view view of the pipeline break, spray zone, drainage path, and remediation
efforts.
![](./smallpics/Early/1979%20aerial%20closeup.jpg) Aerial (close-up) view of
the pipeline break, trench, and remediation
efforts at the north pool.
![](./smallpics/aerial6.jpg) Distant
view of the spill site from the air.
![](./smallpics/Early/Aerial%20pipelines2.jpg) Closer
view.
![](./smallpics/Early/Pipelines.jpg) A trench was dug to remove the
crude oil from where it pooled at what we call the
"north oil pool." This is a view of exposed
pipelines in this trench; the repaired section
of pipeline that ruptured is visible in the
right-center portion of this picture.
![](./smallpics/Early/Pipeline%20closeup1.jpg) Exposed
pipelines showing a pipeline employee in the
trench.
![](./smallpics/Early/Pipeline%20fracture.bmp) The 34-inch diameter pipeline
ruptured along a seam weld and was repaired soon
after the spill occurred.
![](./smallpics/Early/Repaired%20pipe.jpg) This is a schematic diagram of the ruptured pipeline and a view of the repaired
section of pipeline. The crude oil sprayed from the rupture site to the west into an area we call the
"spray zone."
![](./smallpics/Early/Spray%20zone.jpg) This is a picture of oil-covered
vegetation in the spray zone following the
spill.
![](./smallpics/Early/Sprayed%20oil.jpg) Spray
zone.
![](./smallpics/Early/Pumping%20crude%20off%20water%20table%201979.jpg) A pipeline company employee pumping the oil from
the bottom of a trench at the north pool.
![](./smallpics/Early/Oil%20seeping%20into%20trench.jpg) Crude oil can been seen seeping
in along the side and bottom of a trench in this
picture.
![](./smallpics/Early/Oily%20sand%20in%20pit.jpg) Oil-saturated sand can clearly be seen in the wall
of the trench in this picture.
Immediately following the spill,
crude oil moved overland from the "spray
zone" through low-lying areas
and toward a wetland near what we now call the
"south oil pool."
![](./smallpics/Early/Pumping%20off%20wetland.jpg) Some crude oil reached the wetland and the pipeline company removed
the floating oil with...
![](./smallpics/Early/Wetland%201979.jpg) pumps
and other machinery.
![](./smallpics/Early/Wetland%201979a.jpg) Removal of
oil from the wetland.
![](./smallpics/Early/Middle%20pool.jpg) Excavation
of contaminated soil also occurred at the...
![](./smallpics/Early/Middle%20pool%20near%20road.jpg) middle
oil pool.
![](./smallpics/Early/Middle%20pool%20oil%20on%20road.jpg) View of oil near the middle
pool as it crosses the pipeline road.
![](./smallpics/Early/Oil%20in%20trench2.jpg) Crude
oil pooled in a shallow trench at an unknown
location at the site.
![](./smallpics/Early/Oil%20in%20trench.jpg) Oil
is being pumped out of a shallow trench at an
unknown location.
![](./smallpics/Early/Smoker.jpg) Much of the crude oil
contaminated soil that was removed from the spill
site was spread over an adjacent area north of the
site where it was burned.
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