Cleaning Up Brine Pits In North Dakota

NPR

Published August 23, 2017 at 1:11 PM EDT

Salty wastewater from pumpjacks like this one near Glenburn, North Dakota, used to be dumped into pits on farmers' land. Over the years, the brine seeped into the surrounding fields. The resulting contamination continues to expand decades later. (Amy Sisk/Inside Energy)

Oil and gas production has a number of toxic byproducts, and brine is arguably one of the worst. The salty wastewater — hundreds of millions of barrels each year — comes to the Earth’s surface during the extraction process. And when that brine comes into contact with farmland it can render it infertile for decades.

In North Dakota, officials are trying to figure out how best to clean up salty spills — and the state’s toxic legacy. Inside Energy’s Amy Sisk (@amyrsisk) has the story.