Justice Department announced the $US12 million settlement at the site of the pipeline break in Laurel.
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“I want to thank all Montanans and visitors for their ongoing support as we protect Montana jobs and the health of the Yellowstone River, one of the last, great, free-flowing rivers in the United States”.
A proposed consent decree was filed in federal court on Wednesday.
Montana Governor Steve Bullock and Attorney General Tim Fox hailed the agreement for holding Exxon accountable and helping to make whole a state that boasts a $6 billion outdoor economy.
Court approval is pending before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby.
It released more than 1,000 barrels of crude.
After the U.S. Department of Transportation investigation into the incident, it was determined that ExxonMobil workers failed to acknowledge warnings that the 20-year-old pipeline was prone to flooding.
After five years of negotiations, the State of Montana has finally reached a settlement with ExxonMobile over a busted pipeline that gushed oil into the Yellowstone River back in 2011.
The 2011 pipeline break upstream of Billings left oil along an 85-mile stretch of the Yellowstone, killing fish and wildlife and prompting a months-long cleanup. He also said the money is to ensure that the pelicans and the fish are restored to where they are supposed to be, and not just about being compensated, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Penalties against Exxon for federal Clean Water Act violations stemming from the 2011 spill have not yet been levied.
The deal will be finalised pending a 30 day public comment period and court approval.
Essentially, Montana will receive US$9.5 million and the federal government will get the remaining $2.5 million. Another $3.6 million will be for wildlife habitat restoration, $2.4 million for improving recreational access, $900,000 for restoration planning and $400,000 for improving white pelican breeding areas, he said. Exxon claimed to have already spent $135 million on the river cleanup to restore the riverbed habitats as well as the terrestrial habitats.
Exxon spokeswoman Ashley Smith Alemayehu said the company was sorry for the accident.
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