Civic Register
| 11.17.17

Keystone Pipeline Leaks 5,000 Barrels of Oil In South Dakota

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What’s the story?

The Washington Post reports the Keystone XL Pipeline leaked 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons, of crude oil onto private agricultural land in South Dakota Thursday morning. The spill comes just days before the Nebraska Public Service Commission is set to decide on a crucial permit to allow the pipeline construction to continue, linking the northern and southern ends.

Calgary-based TransCanada, which owns and operates the pipeline, maintains that the spill was brief and clean up is already in the works. Critics of the pipeline point to the spill as evidence that the pipeline should not be allowed to continue construction due to the potential environmental devastation in sensitive areas if further spills occur.

Why does it matter?

The Keystone project has been mired in controversy and protests since 2011. President Barack Obama approved the southern section in 2012, but then rejected the northern section in 2015. Soon after his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order approving both the northern section of the Keystone pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Environmental activists in Nebraska have been particularly concerned about potential effects from pipeline spills on the delicate Sandhills region and its vast Ogallala aquifer, which provides water to 1.9 million people. The Keystone route was moved east in response to these concerns.

In order to continue construction and avoid eminent domain lawsuits, however, the pipeline still has to gain a permit from the Nebraska Public Service Commission. That permitting decision was to be announced Monday.

Pipeline critics may hope that the spill will affect the Commission’s decision, but a Nebraska state official said it won’t, reports the Associated Press. Their decision will be, "based solely on testimony and documents during public hearings over the summer and from more than 500,000 public comments." They are not allowed to consider pipeline safety.

According to TransCanada representatives, Thursday’s spill was contained within 15 minutes. An official from the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources told the Post that the spill does not seem to have impacted a surface water body.

The spill Thursday was the third for the pipeline. Two others, in 2011 and 2016, released approximately 400 barrels, or 16,800 gallons, of oil each. The clean-up from the 2016 spill took two months to complete.

What do you think?

Do you support the Keystone XL pipeline or do you think the Nebraska Public Service Commission should reject the TransCanada permit? If you support the pipeline, what do you hope it will bring to America? If you oppose it, what are your concerns?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Shannon Patrick via Flickr / Creative Commons)*

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