Oil spills into Ohio's South Platte River from flood-damaged tanks

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Oil spills into South Platter RiverEnvironmental damage from the Colorado floods includes 5,250 gallons of oil spilled into the South Platte River from a damaged tank, officials said Wednesday.

Booms were being used in an effort to contain the spill near Milliken, The Denver Post reported. Anadarko Petroleum reported the spill Wednesday afternoon to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Inspectors were trying to determine the extent of oil spills into the river since the floods began last week, officials said. Dozens of oil and gas drilling and storage areas have been swamped or damaged, and empty oil drums were spotted earlier this week being carried downriver.

The South Platte, which drains much of the eastern slope of the Rockies in Colorado, joins the North Platte in western Nebraska. The river is a major source of water for domestic and agricultural use in Colorado.

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