Innovative Solutions for Environmental Clean-up

Adhering to the principle of sustainable development led ConocoPhillips to an innovative solution for an environmental cleanup of a 1987 pipeline spill at Magpie Creek on the Flathead Indian Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in western Montana.

ConocoPhillips, as operator on behalf of the three-company consortium that owns the pipeline, first chose to remediate using technology to enhance the ability of indigenous bacteria that literally eat hydrocarbons. But the traditional remedy was not sufficient to achieve the expectations of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai people who live on the reservation.

A breakthrough occurred when the Magpie Creek Site Remediation Project Team proposed an innovative, risk-based remedial strategy. Instead of excavating gravel where the spill occurred and disposing of it elsewhere, the material was used to construct a road nearby. Putting the material to a socially beneficial use, instead of just removing it, reduced toxicity and provided a more environmentally responsible outcome.

Because removal of the gravel is considered mining, the people of the reservation received a royalty. The state of Montana benefited through reduced construction costs, and the pipeline company realized a substantial savings in remediation costs.

The result demonstrated the strength of sustainable growth through aligning stakeholder expectations and values with business needs that were shared by the pipeline, residents of the reservation and the state.