'Pipelines Leak': Expert Finds Government Downplayed DAPL Impact on Tribe and Water

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Friday, November 04, 2016
by Common Dreams

Standing Rock Sioux chairman says Army Corps must deny pipeline crossing easement, in light of new review

by Lauren McCauley, staff writer



An independent pipeline expert has concluded that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' environmental assessment (EA) of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is insufficient and fails to account for the impact on tribal members, prompting the Standing Rock Sioux to demand that the federal agency "revisit" its approval of the controversial project.

The review, commissioned by the tribe, found that the Army Corps' EA "understates the risk of pipeline failure and related oil release from this pipeline impacting Lake Oahe and the Missouri River," determined (pdf) Richard Kuprewicz, a pipeline engineer with the consulting firm Accufacts, Inc..

Earthjustice, which is representing the Standing Rock Sioux in its litigation against the Corps, outlined additional "areas of deficiency" identified in the review:

1.Shoddy pipeline construction
2.The risks posed by landslides were underestimated
3.Lack of proper safety constructions to contain spills
4.Failure to review impact to residents and environment downstream of the site
5.A risk review of industry spills and containment at similar sites that document problematic regulatory oversight of the industry in North Dakota

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/11/04/pipelines-leak-expert-finds-government-downplayed-dapl-impact-tribe-and-water

[JayhawkSD]

1. Not to say I support the pipeline, but...

look at that picture and tell me, please, how the "risks posed by landslides" can possibly be underestimated. I don't think the pipeline should be built, but I also don't think that the risk of it being carried away by a landslide is much of an argument against it, at least not based on that picture.

[NotHardly]

2. Regarding the picture of that portion on the pipeline and landslides....

I am pretty sure that the pipeline is much longer than indicated in the picture and if you refer to a map (readily available through the intertubes) you'll see the topology of North Dakota varies stupendously, thus the possibility of landslides in some regions.

[JayhawkSD]

4. Well they should have made their point with a different picture. nt

[womanofthehills]

4. Any kind of ground movement can cause a fracture in the weld

a very common risk