Just last week, more than 9,000 barrels of oil leaked from the existing Keystone Pipeline in a field in Walsh county, North Dakota. Not only is this new spill causing environmental damage, but it’s also frightening landowners and adding to the already-heightened state of concern about whether or not an expansion to the existing Keystone Pipeline truly is worth it. For landowners, the answer is simple—the expansion must be stopped.
The proposed pipeline would connect the Canadian systems to the United States, making it easier to blend oils and refine the materials for gasoline and other essential fuels. However, it would force several Americans to leave their homes and their land, and it may put livestock, wild animals, and the environment at risk.
So far, the existing pipeline has experienced no fewer than four oil spills in the last ten years. The first incident took place in North Dakota in 2011 and spilled about 400 barrels of oil. The second and third spills both occurred in South Dakota, the first of which spilled 400 barrels in 2016, the second of which took place a year later and spilled about 9,700 barrels of oil.
The pipeline operator, TC Energy Corp, anticipated potential spills when they initially constructed the Keystone pipeline, but their estimates fell woefully short of reality. This hazardous oversight is leading landowners and other parties opposed to the XL Pipeline to question whether the company can truly vouch for the safety of the new expansion. If the existing line is already spilling large quantities of oil every couple of years, what’s to say the new pipeline addition will be any better?
To read more about Domina Law Group’s involvement in the Keystone XL Pipeline Expansion, read these blogs: