Nelson Environmental Remediation, Tioga pipeline release soil remediation, Tioga, North Dakota: Aerial view of Nelson's thermal desorption operation at the Tioga, North Dakota pipeline release site.
Nelson Environmental Remediation, Tioga pipeline release soil remediation, Tioga, North Dakota: Aerial view of Nelson's thermal desorption operation at the Tioga, North Dakota pipeline release site.
Nelson Environmental Remediation, Tioga pipeline release soil remediation, Tioga, North Dakota: Nelson mobile thermal desorption unit running night operations under snowfall at the Tioga, North Dakota site.
Nelson Environmental Remediation, Tioga pipeline release soil remediation, Tioga, North Dakota: Nelson mobile thermal desorption unit running night operations under snowfall at the Tioga, North Dakota site.

Ask Nelson

Trained on Nelson's 30+ year project history & technical library

Nelson's AI team member

All Projects

Case Study

Tioga, North Dakota: 1.2 Million Tons Remediated

One of the largest cleanups in US history. Nelson Environmental Remediation successfully moved 2.4 million tons of soil following a major pipeline break, of which 1.2 million tons were contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.

Download case study PDF

05

Tioga, North Dakota: 1.2 Million Tons Remediated

A multi-year program

Capability Applied

Mobile Thermal Desorption→

Case Study Reel

Case study reel, Tioga, North Dakota pipeline release.

Watch Tioga pipeline spill remediation →

No soils were landfilled during the remediation.

By selecting Thermal Desorption, the client preserved local soils, avoided liability associated with landfill disposal, and retained topsoil for reuse in site reclamation.

Key Highlights

Complete In-House Service. No subcontractors required for major subtrades, ensuring quality control and seamless execution.

Advanced Mobile Technology. Mobile desorption units deployed for hydrocarbon removal.

Go DeeperTioga: Anatomy of a CleanupThe full technical narrative. 21,000 barrels of Bakken crude, 14 acres of North Dakota wheat field, 2.4 million tons of soil moved, and 1.2 million tons thermally treated to permanent closure.Read the full anatomy→

Last updated · September 2025

See all projects →

Remediation Strategy Navigator

Start from a site like this one

Run the same diagnostic our engineers ran here. Five questions on contaminant, matrix, site context, driver, and scale, and the Strategy Navigator shows which treatment path your conditions point toward.

· A shortlist of treatment paths ranked against your answers

· The reasoning behind every technology that surfaces

· A shareable link that reopens the same strategy

· A downloadable strategy brief at the end

Open the Strategy Navigator

Outputs are indicative. Reach out for site-specific refinements.

Contact

How can we help?

Project inquiries, technical consultation, or emergencies.

We respond to project inquiries within one business day.

Nelson Environmental Remediation

Head Office

30541 - 100 Avenue

Acheson (Edmonton), Alberta

Canada T7X 6L8

Phone

1.780.960.3660

Toll Free: 1.888.960.8222

Fax

1.780.962.6885

Email

Follow Us on LinkedIn →

More from Nelson

  • Mobile thermal technology: configured for the material, brought to site
  • How to use The Hub for contamination research
  • Navigator: a practical guide to remediation strategy
  • The Ground Truth: Warren Nelson's remediation newsletter
  • A new era of enlightenment
  • Value should be the final outcome
  • What’s next at Nelson
  • Why independent research matters more than anything
  • Over thirty years of permanent outcomes: a field review of Nelson’s project record
  • Petroleum-contaminated soil treatment in the US: build the plan around the fuel profile
  • Contaminated soil management in the US: from excavation to an accepted destination
  • US remediation project evidence: what Tioga and Honolulu tell a project owner

Site Navigation

  • All Articles & Research
  • Thermal Remediation Capabilities
  • Project Case Studies
  • Remediation Glossary
  • About Nelson Environmental Remediation
  • Contact Nelson