State: Yellowstone fish safe, but some oil found

BILLINGS — Montana wildlife officials say fish exposed to an Exxon Mobil Corp. oil spill into the Yellowstone River are safe to eat despite some crude found in their internal organs.

Laboratory results disclosed Thursday by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks revealed no oil in fillets cut from about 60 fish taken from the river in mid-July.

Trace amounts of oil were detected in the livers and gonads of some fish.

Wildlife agency spokesman Robert Gibson says the contamination potentially could harm the health of the fish but not people who catch and eat them.

An Exxon Mobil pipeline broke and leaked an estimated 42,000 gallons of oil into the flooding river near Laurel on July 1. Much of the oil was swept away and only about 400 gallons have been recovered.