When it comes to petrochemicals, the easiest part of the process has to be transporting crude oil. Crude oil can make a serious mess of the environment, but at the same time, it’s a lot less dangerous than refined chemicals. No towns have ever had to be evacuated due to an oil leak, and oil doesn’t explode. When it was being built, environmentalists worried about the Keystone Pipeline’s ability to avoid leaks. The Keystone Pipeline leaked 187 gallons of oil in South Dakota.
TransCanada has reported the leak to the Coast Guard’s National Response Center, and they’ve shut down the leaking section of the Keystone Pipeline. The pipeline runs from Alberta, Canada, to Cushing, Oklahoma. A second pipeline runs from Oklahoma to Texas, which remains in operation. The spill took place near the Freeman pump station in Hutchinson County, South Dakota and TransCanada is already actively cleaning up the scene and informing the affected land owners.
TransCanada had been pushing for the Keystone Pipeline XL since 2008, which would move oil directly to Nebraska from Canada. President Obama recently denied that permit. Looks like that might have been a good idea.
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