Government Quietly Approves Enormous Oil Pipeline

[Thebobo]

Anyone hear about this, the Dakota Access Pipeline Project? I hadn't until a couple days ago. Seems like the Keystone pipeline was just a distraction. In the meantime this was pushed through. So sneaky of our politicians. And where the hell has been our media?

It took seven years of protests, sit-ins, letter writing, and, finally, a presidential review to prevent the Keystone XL oil pipeline from being built. Now, in a matter of months, America's newest mega-pipeline—the Dakota Access Pipeline Project (DAPL)—has quietly received full regulatory permission to begin construction. Known also as the Bakken Pipeline, the project is slated to run 1,172 miles of 30-inch diameter pipe from North Dakota's northwest Bakken region down to a market hub outside Patoka, Illinois, where it will join extant pipelines and travel onward to refineries and markets in the Gulf and on the East Coast. If that description gives you déjà vu, it should: The Bakken Pipeline is only seven miles shorter than Keystone's proposed length.

Dakota Access Pipeline Temporarily Halted In Response To Protests

 

[K1052]

Most pipeline approvals fly well under the national news radar. Also there isn't a mechanism for this to be denied even if the president desired to do so as no State Dept review is required. Unlike Keystone it appears this line will move Bakken Crude to refineries in IL instead of diluted bitumen from Canada to refineries in TX.

 

[MajinCry]

Speakin' of Dakota, there's a bunch of water sources used by Native Americans that have been poisoned through Uranium mining. Just what these fellas need, more contaminated water.

As if shoving them all into wasteland wasn't good enough, eh?

 

[dphantom]

and the problem with this is what??

 

[cbrunny]

Pipelines >>>>>>>>>>>> trains.

There really needs to be zero debate on these things. I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose a pipeline given the alternative.

 

[Thebobo]

Most pipeline approvals fly well under the national news radar. Also there isn't a mechanism for this to be denied even if the president desired to do so as no State Dept review is required. Unlike Keystone it appears this line will move Bakken Crude to refineries in IL instead of diluted bitumen from Canada to refineries in TX.

Ah good point about the State department review.

 

[Kazukian]

Pipelines >>>>>>>>>>>> trains.

There really needs to be zero debate on these things. I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose a pipeline given the alternative.

This.

 

[realibrad]

 

[Jaepheth]

I'm ok with this one since they're moving crude instead of an abrasive tar sand.

Besides, oil-men love them some pipe.

 

[Thebobo]

Pipelines >>>>>>>>>>>> trains.

There really needs to be zero debate on these things. I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose a pipeline given the alternative.

Looking towards the future the goal is to reduce fossil fuels from our diet and thus reduce CO2 emissions. The alternative is actually that , alliterative. For me its obvious but I have a different mindset than you, I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose Alternative.

 

[highland145]

Pipelines >>>>>>>>>>>> trains.

There really needs to be zero debate on these things. I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose a pipeline given the alternative.

I don't have a horse in the race other than Kinder Morgan wants to run one through the middle of my in law's farm. And...
Kinder Morgan already has had a substantial spill from existing operations in Anderson County near the Belton site.
300K gallons of gas.

Who is one of the largest owners/investors of trains?

The other thing is that there should be a permanent clean up fund for the pipeline. There was a story about an old line that started leaking but the company was defunked. Google is failing me atm. If it wasn't for a clean up fund, the current land owners would have been on the hook.

 

[K1052]

The other thing is that there should be a permanent clean up fund for the pipeline. There was a story about an old line that started leaking but the company was defunked. Google is failing me atm. If it wasn't for a clean up fund, the current land owners would have been on the hook.

Yea I think all operators should be kicking into a fund in the event a company has a major spill and goes tits up plus for legacy contamination cleanups Also pipeline standards for maintenance and repair should be much more stringent than present along with the requisite oversight. Pipelines while a lot better from a safety standpoint can make a huge mess really quickly...the Enbridge diluted bitumen spill into the Kalamazoo River is a good example.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Pipeline is the safest mode of transportation for crude oil. Other option is to run it by train, where you can blow up an entire town. Rather have a mess we can try to clean up than a town that was accidentally blown up because of a mechanical failure or human error.

 

[Brainonska511]

Most pipeline approvals fly well under the national news radar. Also there isn't a mechanism for this to be denied even if the president desired to do so as no State Dept review is required. Unlike Keystone it appears this line will move Bakken Crude to refineries in IL instead of diluted bitumen from Canada to refineries in TX.

Yep. Even during the Keystone debacle, other pipelines were approved and built. Perhaps not for carrying stuff from Canada to Texas, but still pipelines nonetheless. The Keystone pipeline as where environmentalists decided to try and make a stand.

 

[piasabird]

I live pretty close to this location. This pipeline runs through the Mississippi River Valley which is a prone area for flooding. Texas could ship oil through to the St Louis, area also. In Wood River, Illinois we have lots of tanks and an Oil Refinery. North Dakota is closer to the Canadian Border as well.

Mount Doom!

 

[cbrunny]

Looking towards the future the goal is reduce fossil fuels from our diet and thus reduce CO2 emissions. The alternative is acclivity that , alliterative. for me its obvious I have a different mindset then you, I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose Alternative.

What?

 

[cbrunny]

Pipeline is the safest mode of transportation for crude oil. Other option is to run it by train, where you can blow up an entire town. Rather have a mess we can try to clean up than a town that was accidentally blown up because of a mechanical failure or human error.

 

[cbrunny]

Yea I think all operators should be kicking into a fund in the event a company has a major spill and goes tits up plus for legacy contamination cleanups Also pipeline standards for maintenance and repair should be much more stringent than present along with the requisite oversight. Pipelines while a lot better from a safety standpoint can make a huge mess really quickly...the Enbridge diluted bitumen spill into the Kalamazoo River is a good example.

That's a great idea. Should be the same for rail companies that transport. In Lac Megantic, the company couldn't afford to pay, so taxpayers did.

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/en...c-damage-expect-same-pipelines-says-economist

Economist and former ICBC CEO Robyn Allan says the situation of Lac-Mégantic, in which the rail company responsible for the crash was unable to pay for damage costs, is sadly all too common.

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic lost its license to operate in Canada on Tuesday after the Lac-Mégantic, Québec explosion that killed 47 people and left the Canadian government to pay $60 million since the rail company itself didn't have enough to pay.

While Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud (who is running for governor in Maine) told Railway Age that he finds Canada's decision "concerning" for the future of his state's businesses, it opened up many questions around oil transportation and liability in the event of a disaster.

In total, the damage caused by the Lac-Mégantic crude train explosion is expected to cost a minimum of $200 million. MM&A's Canadian subsidiary had nowhere even close to that amount: it carries $25 million in insurance, and just $18 million in assets. By default, the federal government, Quebec's provincial government (and now, possibly Canadian Pacific Railway) are left to cover whatever MM&A can't afford.

 

[herm0016]

Warren Buffet was funding the anti-keystone groups because his railroads currently transport the oil. Pipelines are much safer.

Supporting alternative energy can be done while supporting a pipeline to safely bring energy to market. To support alternative energy does not have to mean you oppose anything to do with conventional energy. I work in the oil industry and we have solar and an electric car for example.

 

[JSt0rm]

the middle of the country can be a toxic waste 3rd world dump. As long as the coasts are good america is strong.

 

[sportage]

may have been government approved but states are blocking it. some states...
in iowa, all these republican farmers loved the slogan "drill baby drill" until that pipeline was set to go thru their backyard. now, farmers are fighting it and fighting it and fighting it,
poor saps....
and crossing over indian reservation land also appears to be a major shag for the government.

http://whotv.com/2016/08/19/iowa-landowners-extend-fight-against-bakken-pipeline-construction/

 

[JSt0rm]

Republicans get the government they want.

 

[Zaap]

Pipelines >>>>>>>>>>>> trains.

There really needs to be zero debate on these things. I don't understand how anyone could possibly oppose a pipeline given the alternative.

This. So much this.
"Lets use gravity to move oil... instead of burning even more fossil fuels to move oil. "
(Whining and gnashing of teeth... then onto the next protest about not burning so much fossil fuel and saaaaaaaaaaaave the planet!)

Its just fashionable to protest anything to do with oil and energy these days, even when it's the best solution short of teleportation.

 

[Brainonska511]

Its just fashionable to protest anything to do with oil and energy these days, even when it's the best solution short of teleportation.

It's fashionable to do any complaining without critical thinking. Thinking is hard and research takes time. It's much easier to just go with what you feel is right in your gut. #truthiness

 

[MajinCry]

Or maybe it's a bad idea to have an oil line that goes directly through the fresh water supplies for Native American communities? But eh, they're injuns. Americans never were too happy with the existence of the Natives.