But oil pipelines are completely safe, so we're told
Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 11:07 am
Santa Barbara oil spill raises questions about California pipelines
LOS ANGELES — Environmental groups are pointing to an oil spill near Santa Barbara, Calif., to highlight what they say are the dangers of expanding tar sands oil production 10-fold during the next decade, which would result in transporting large volumes of oil along the California coast.
Federal, state, and local agencies will be investigating the Santa Barbara spill, which has been estimated at as much as 105,000 gallons, checking details such as why an automatic shutoff valve did not deploy.
The spill puts the pipeline's parent company, Plains All American Pipeline, in the spotlight. The company transports and stores crude oil all over North America, netting $1.39 billion in revenue last year.
“Plains deeply regrets this release has occurred and is making every effort to limit its environmental impact,” the company said in a statement.
While the Santa Barbara crude oil spilled is not from tar sands, much of the transport of tar sands would be via pipelines like Plains All American Line 63, which ruptured Tuesday, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“What we are seeing with this spill highlights the risks of this new expansion,” says Anthony Swift, an NRDC staff attorney, suggesting that tar sand oil is the most devastating to the environment.
About half of the new tar-sand oil development – some 800,000 barrels per day – would be destined for refineries in Washington State and California, according to an April 2015 report released by the NRDC and 29 other environmental organizations. The West Coast is far closer to the Canadian tar sands of Alberta than the Gulf Coast.
