Keystone Pipeline: 'Built To Spill'

BUILT TO SPILL? KEYSTONE PIPELINE ACCIDENTS, AND RISKS FOR PROPOSED KEYSTONE XL Right now President Obama is considering approving a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Despite growing opposition, the U.S. State Department has announced its support for the project. Pipeline operator TransCanada says their Keystone pipelines are the safest on the continent. But what about those 12 spills in the past year? See for yourself the shocking spills in TransCanada's safety record and discover the potential risks of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. TRANSCANADA PREDICTED ITS KEYSTONE I PIPELINE WOULD LEAK ONCE EVERY SEVEN YEARS. IT LEAKED 12 TIMES IN ITS FIRST YEAR. KEYSTONE I PIPELINE SYSTEM (2,147 MILES FROM HARDISTY, AB TO PATOKA, IL) MISSOURI RIVER PROPOSED KEYSTONE XL 112 9 PIPELINE (1,980 MILES FROM HARDISTY, AB TO PORT ARTHUR, TX) MAJOR RIVER SYSTEMS AND WATERWAYS OGALLALA AQUIFER CONFIRMED OIL SPILL (SEE CORRESPONDING NUMBER BELOW FOR DETAILS) PIPELINE TERMINUS MAJOR CITY LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 102 12 6 WICHITA, KANSAS PROPOSED KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE WILL CROSS TULSA, OKLAHOMA 1,904 WATERWAYS. THIS INCLUDES THE OGALLALA AQUIFER, THE LARGEST SOURCE OF FRESHWATER IN THE UNITED STATES. THE KEYSTONE I PIPELINE BEGAN PRODUCTION IN SUNE 2010. IT HAS SUFFERED 12 SPILLS, MORE THAN ANY OTHER FIRST-YEAR PIPELINE IN THE USA. 12 May 31, 2010 in Carpenter, South Dakota Quantity: 2 Gallons Cause: Leaking valve February 3, 2011 in Cushing, Oklahoma? Quantity: 15 Gallons Cause: Operator error June 23, 2010 in Howard, South Dakota? Quantity: 20 Gallons Cause: Leak at pump station February 23, 2011 in Udall, Kansas Quantity: 10 Gallons Cause: Equipment failure August 10, 2010 in Freeman, South Dakota Quantity: 5 Gallons Cause: Unknown March 8, 2011 in Brampton, North Dakota Quantity: 5 Gallons Cause: Seal failure at main pump August 19, 2010 in Hartington, Nebraska Quantity: 10 Gallons Cause: Equipment failure March 16, 2011 in Seneca, Kansas 10 10) Quantity: 3 barrels (216 gallons) Cause: Equipment failure 5O) January 5, 2011 in Andover, South Carolina5 Quantity: 10 Gallons Cause: Faulty seal 112 May 7, 2011 in Brampton, North Dakota' Quantity: 500 barrels (21,000 gallons) Cause: Valve failure January 30, 2010 in Turney, Missouri Quantity: 10 Gallons 122 May 29, 2011 in Bendena, Kansas Quantity: 50 barrels (2,100 gallons) Cause: Seal on pump failed Cause: Unknown The U.S. State Department weighs in on the environmental implications of the Keystone XL: "Analyses of potential impacts associated with construction and normal operation of the proposed project suggest that there would be no significant impacts to most resources." - Environmental Impact Summary According to TransCanada's Environmental Impact Summary, construction of the Keystone XL will: 1. Disturb 20,782 acres including 11,485 acres of native and modified grassland/rangeland/pastureland, 2,684 acres of forest land, and 4,777 acres of agriculture/cropland during construction; 2. Disturb 740 acres of wetlands, river systems, and other open water; 2. Require 20 to 50 years for forested wetlands destroyed during construction to recover;, 3. Demand 14 million gallons of surface water for hydrostatic testing; 5. Potentially reduce populations of sensitive wildlife & aquatic species habitats and; 6. Physically disturb archaeological sites or architecturally significant structures." "Crude oil spills are not likely to have toxic effects on the public" U.S. State Department Report 15 More than a year after the BP oil spill, residents of the Louisiana Gulf Coast and cleanup workers are still suffering from spill-related illness, including headaches, nausea, vomiting, kidney damage, and iritation of the digestive tract. Serious problems reported include: lung damage, burning pain in the nose and throat, coughing, pulmonary edema, cancer, lack of muscle coordination, dizziness, con- fusion, difficulty breathing, delayed reaction time and memory difficulties. 16, 17 "I have to confess: I did not anticipate that we would have a problem this soon." This was said by the TransCanada County Commissioner in North Dakota after the Keystone I pipeline sprayed a geyser of crude oil 60 feet (27 metres) into the air on May 7, 2011.18 SOURCES: 1. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=941193] 2. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=945213) 3. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=950516] 4. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=951480) 5. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=963799] 6. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=966126) 7. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_ web+inc_seq=966497] 8. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=968357] 9. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=969483] 10. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=970232] 11. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard web+inc_seq=975573] 12. [http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=977695] 13. [http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state..gow/clentsitekeystonexl.nst/21_KXL FEIS Sec 3.15 Summary of Findings.pdf) 14. [http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nst/21_KXL_FEIS_Sec_3.15_Summary_of_Findings.pdf?OpenFileResource] 15. [http://www.nationofchange.org/state-department-issues-fawed-blessing-keystone-d-13144569540] 16. [http://english.aljazeera.netindepthvleatures/2011/03/201138152955897442.htm 17. [http://www.hufingtonpost.com/2011/04/18/gulf-oil-spil-health-cleanup-workers_n_850486.htm 18. [http://forbes.com/sites/oshadavidson/2011/05/11/keystone- pipeline-spill-raises-concerns-about-transcanadas-super-sizing/) CONCEIVED, RESEARCHED AND DESIGNED BY HEATHER LIBBY AND EMMA PULLMAN