Three Oil Pipeline Leaks This Last Week

First it was the Exxon pipeline near Mayflower (Arkansas) that dumped a few thousand barrels of oil (diluted bitumen) into the environment. Then a Canadian pipeline was broken by a train wreck in Canada and dumped a few hundred barrels of oil there. Now there has been a third pipeline leak in the same week -- this one in Texas (West Columbia). The company, Shell Oil this time, admits that several hundred barrels of oil leaked from the pipeline, and at least 70 barrels made it to the Gulf of Mexico (and the odds are that is a gross underestimate).

The media is making a big deal out of there being three pipelines leaking oil in one week -- like it's an unusual occurrence. But those to pay attention to such matters know that it isn't. Last year, there were 364 "incidents" (pipeline leaks) -- very close to one every day. Most of them are small, dumping only a few hundred barrels of oil, but all of them are hurting the environment.

And now the oil companies want President Obama to approve a huge new pipeline running right down the middle of this country from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast -- the XL pipeline. And this new pipeline will be much larger than existing pipelines. The Arkansas pipeline carries about 90,000 barrels a day, but the XL pipeline will carry about 800,000 barrels a day. Just imagine, a pipeline break of it could dump hundreds of thousands of oil (actually diluted bitumen) into the environment in just a few hours.

And unfortunately, that pipeline will probably be approved. The president has a history of giving the corporate interests most of what they want, and the oil companies want this huge new pipeline. There are those who will tell you this new pipeline will create jobs and help this country be less dependent on foreign oil. Not true! Only a couple of hundred permanent jobs will be created (unless you count the workers that will be needed to clean up the future pipeline leaks). And none of that Canadian oil is destined for this country. It will be refined in Texas and sold to other countries (primarily Asia).

This proposed XL pipeline is a bad idea -- both environmentally and financially. It will endanger the environment and only financially benefit the big oil companies. It should NOT be built!

Will Ft. Worth Regret It's Greed ?

Back in April and May of this year, Fort Worth approved the drilling for natural gas within it's city limits. Both residents and government officials let their greed get the best of them, and opted for kick cash from the drilling companies. The right to drill for the gas was given both in residential areas and in the downtown area. Soon drilling rigs and pipelines will be all over the city.

The gas companies have made all sorts of promises to the city about clean drilling and safe pipelines, but the sad fact is that they're promises that probably can't be kept. There is no such thing as clean drilling or pipelines that will not leak (at least eventually).

Take for example, the land owned by Jay Marcom in Ranger, Texas. His land is criss-crossed by pipelines and a compressor station, and they're leaking. His surface dirt smells like oil and the ground water smells like gasoline. And both have been polluted with chemicals like benzene, xylene and toluene -- all are cancer-causing agents. In fact, the ground water is so polluted that if you put a match to it, it will burn.

Is this the legacy the gas companies are leaving Fort Worth? Things seem fine now as wallets are fattened and promises are made. But what about the future. Will future generations inherit a city where large portions of it are toxic sludge pits and poisoned soil and water?

Fort Worth is a wonderful city that has just recently revitalized it's downtown. I hope they're not now sowing the seeds of their own destruction.