Exxon's Yellowstone Oil Spill Shows Pipeline Risks

[marmar]

Published on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 by Facing South
Exxon's Yellowstone Oil Spill Shows Pipeline Risks

by Sue Sturgis


The environmental disaster that began unfolding last week when an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured in Montana and spilled an estimated 42,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River highlights the serious environmental risks associated with the oil industry's infrastructure -- and foreshadows the problems likely to arise if that infrastructure spreads to other states that are now considering offshore drilling.

The Houston-based oil giant reports that more than 280 personnel are now involved in cleaning up the spilled oil, which has contaminated farms and other properties along the scenic waterway.

The spill occurred when Exxon's Silvertip pipeline buried six feet below the river sprung a leak last Friday. Though the cause of the leak is not yet known, Eastern Montana got record rainfall last month, and some local officials have raised the possibility that the surging water exposed the pipeline, which in turn could have been damaged by debris.

But there have been problems along the Silvertip before. The U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees oil pipelines, notified Exxon last July of seven potential safety violations on the Silvertip, with two of the warnings citing problems with the company's emergency response and pipeline corrosion training, CBS News reports. In May, the Silvertip was shut down due to concerns over rising waters, but Exxon restarted the line a day later after deciding the risk was low. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/07/06-5

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. As I understand it…

…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.

…