Reply #1: As I understand it…

[OKIsItJustMe]

…you couldn’t install that pipeline today. (It wouldn’t meet requirements.)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_fe82eb3a-a7c4-11e0-bdea-001cc4c03286.html

Residents: Is damage from Yellowstone River oil spill permanent?

By GARANCE BURKE and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, July 7, 2011 6:00 am

…

The company said in a June 1 email - just a month before the spill - that the line was buried at least 12 feet beneath the riverbed, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees pipelines.

Exxon Mobil Pipeline Co. president Gary Pruessing said Wednesday the company did not know where the 12-feet figure came from but was looking into the matter.

The documents also contained additional details that raised new questions about the company's response.

Exxon Mobil took almost an hour to fully seal the pipeline after the accident - nearly twice as long as it had publicly disclosed. The company said that did not change its estimate of how much crude entered the river.

…