(Note from Erin: This truthful information is readily available which means the president, Army Corps of Engineers, and anyone else supporting DAPL, is simply ignoring what happens when we build pipelines. This isn’t a victimless crime and water IS life.)
On Jan. 30, Enbridge’s Seaway Pipeline, in Blue Ridge, Texas, had a 600,000 gallon spill– the second spill since the pipeline opened for business in mid-2016. Thankfully the spill was quickly contained and service resumed on Feb. 5. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and EPA plan to do water and environmental testing in the coming days and TxDOT will take several weeks to do a full cleanup.
The Seaway Pipeline (who are half owned by Enbridge) serves as the last leg of a system that carries mostly tar sands from Alberta, Canada, across the U.S., at a rate of 400,000 barrels per day, down to the Gulf of Mexico. And in case you forgot, Enbridge is an equity co-owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Brittany Clayton, who works at a nearby gas station in Blue Ridge, was close to the spill and said,
“You could just smell this oil smell. A customer walks in and says ‘nobody smoke.’ You could see it just spewing. It was just super huge. It was like a big cloud. The fire marshal said, ‘This is like a danger zone. You guys have to evacuate immediately.’ I was totally freaked out. I kept texting the boss man.”
It’s too soon to know what caused the spill but there is an ongoing investigation.
This spill should serve as yet ANOTHER reminder about the risks and consequences that come with pipelines. Thus far, we haven’t paid attention. I fear that soon it will simply be too late.
Source: EcoWatch
