I’m currently in Montana working with ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo) as part of the response team following last Friday’s spill, and I wanted to provide a quick summary of actions taken since my last update.

Yesterday, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer joined EMPCo President Gary Pruessing on a visit to the site of cleanup operations in Laurel, Mont. There, Gov. Schweitzer saw the work being done by some of the more than 350 people who are now part of the cleanup and response efforts.

As Pruessing said on a call with reporters yesterday afternoon, we appreciated the opportunity to personally update Gov. Schweitzer on the cleanup efforts, and Gary also reiterated EMPCo’s commitment to staying with the cleanup until the job is done.

Gov. Schweitzer has urged landowners along the Yellowstone River to inspect their property. We welcome this assistance as we continue the cleanup program. A claims hotline number, 1-888-382-0043, has been established to assist individuals who might have been impacted by this event.

As I mentioned in my previous post, as part of our cleanup strategy we have divided the area downriver of the spill into four zones – two zones for active cleanup and two zones for reconnaissance and evaluation. More than 48,000 feet of absorbent boom, 2,200 feet of containment boom, and 2,300 absorbent pads are on site and being used to clean up oil adjacent to the river. Vacuum trucks and tankers have also been deployed to pick up and dispose of the oil.

We will go as far downstream as necessary for the cleanup, and we will stay with the cleanup until it is complete.

In meeting with some of the many individuals, agencies and officials on site here in Montana, I am continually impressed by the collaborative efforts in the cleanup operation. With their help, EMPCo is making real progress in the cleanup and response effort.

You can visit exxonmobil.com for the latest updates from Montana.