Canada-US - Keystone XL pipeline proposal rejected

[Zetanio]

can someone tell me, besides jobs, what good this pipeline does.

It would alleviate part of our current need to import oil from conflict areas like the Middle East and Venezuela.

I'm just looking at the OP.

[archibaldcrane]

The oil goes on the world market and would be a drop in the bucket of world need. It may drop the price of a barrel of oil by $1. (like 1%)

If it avoided the aquifer that would help, but it's still a sub-crude-oil source of petroleum. Which is, ya know, pretty awful.

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

stuff

Oops.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate...allala-aquifer
But here's 4 reasons why the aquifer isn't at risk from a spill:

1. The slope of the regional water table is from west to east; the deep waters within the host rocks move persistently downhill eastward. Approximately 80 percent of the Ogallala Aquifer lies to the west of the proposed alignment, “uphill” of the pipeline’s route. Spilled oil could not move upward against gravity.

2. Along much of the alignment, the depth to water is over 50 feet. Sediments above the top of the aquifer contain fine-grained deposits like silts and clays. In a 25-year study of an oil spill near Bemidji, Minn., the Geological Survey reported that “apparently fine-grained layers impeded the infiltration and redistribution of oil.”

3. If areas of the Ogallala were exposed to leaks from the pipeline, the highly varied layers within the rock formation itself would serve to localize the impact of a spill.

4. In places along the pipeline’s route, there are locations where the water table is near or at the land surface. It is my understanding that in these areas, TransCanada will encase the pipeline in a waterproof covering and cement jacket.

[archibaldcrane]

If they add extremely restrictive, heavily punitive financial damage-strings attached to this pipeline for environmental damage for leaks (that would force Transcanada to be much more stringent than they have been with the existing pipeline), I wouldn't really have much of a problem with it. I just don't trust the regulatory agencies to keep TransCanada in check because of the corporate money corrupting politics.

[Correction]

4. In places along the pipeline’s route, there are locations where the water table is near or at the land surface. It is my understanding that in these areas, TransCanada will encase the pipeline in a waterproof covering and cement jacket.

So, 'trust the corporation that spilled 21k gallons last year' is a reason why the aquifer isn't at risk from a spill?

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

Oops, replace spill with contamination.

[Demosthenes11]

What's this cost again?

[archibaldcrane]

What's this cost again?

To the government? Pretty sure it's just a private project that is looking for approval (and needs it from the state department since it's an international pipeline). I don't think there is an overt taxpayer-born expense for this.