KENNEY WASTED OUR $$$ ON IT
U.S. report finds multiple problems with Keystone pipeline
Mon, August 23, 2021
FILE PHOTO: A supply depot servicing the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline lies idle in Oyen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government watchdog found multiple problems with the construction, manufacture and design of the Keystone pipeline, validating President Joe Biden's decision to revoke the permit for a Keystone XL extension, leaders of several House Democratic committees said on Monday.
The lawmakers requested the Government Accountability Office report in November 2019 after more than 11,000 barrels of oil leaked from the pipeline system in two releases in less than two years.
"GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline’s spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends," they said in a statement.
Keystone's four largest spills were "caused by issues related to the original design, manufacturing of the pipe, or construction of the pipeline," the GAO report said.
Biden canceled Keystone XL's permit on his first day in office on Jan. 20, dealing a death blow to a project that would have carried 830,000 barrels per day of heavy oil sands crude from Alberta to Nebraska. [L1N2JX1D8]
"TC Energy’s record among its peers is one of the worst in terms of volume of oil spilled per mile transported," a statement from the lawmakers said. The lawmakers included Representative Frank Pallone, energy and commerce committee chair.
TC Energy Corp officially canceled the $9 billion Keystone XL in June. It filed a notice of intent in July to begin a legacy North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) claim and is seeking more than $15 billion in damages from the U.S. government.
The company did not immediately respond on Monday to a request for comment.
Pipeline opponents want to slow the movement of Canadian oil to the United States. But pipeline supporters say it will be shipped anyway and that oil sent by rail has caused numerous fiery accidents.
Biden "was clearly right to question this operator’s ability to construct a safe and resilient pipeline, and we support his decision to put Americans’ health and environment above industry interests,” the U.S. representatives said.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Dan Grebler)
Mon, August 23, 2021
FILE PHOTO: A supply depot servicing the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline lies idle in Oyen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government watchdog found multiple problems with the construction, manufacture and design of the Keystone pipeline, validating President Joe Biden's decision to revoke the permit for a Keystone XL extension, leaders of several House Democratic committees said on Monday.
The lawmakers requested the Government Accountability Office report in November 2019 after more than 11,000 barrels of oil leaked from the pipeline system in two releases in less than two years.
"GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline’s spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends," they said in a statement.
Keystone's four largest spills were "caused by issues related to the original design, manufacturing of the pipe, or construction of the pipeline," the GAO report said.
Biden canceled Keystone XL's permit on his first day in office on Jan. 20, dealing a death blow to a project that would have carried 830,000 barrels per day of heavy oil sands crude from Alberta to Nebraska. [L1N2JX1D8]
"TC Energy’s record among its peers is one of the worst in terms of volume of oil spilled per mile transported," a statement from the lawmakers said. The lawmakers included Representative Frank Pallone, energy and commerce committee chair.
TC Energy Corp officially canceled the $9 billion Keystone XL in June. It filed a notice of intent in July to begin a legacy North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) claim and is seeking more than $15 billion in damages from the U.S. government.
The company did not immediately respond on Monday to a request for comment.
Pipeline opponents want to slow the movement of Canadian oil to the United States. But pipeline supporters say it will be shipped anyway and that oil sent by rail has caused numerous fiery accidents.
Biden "was clearly right to question this operator’s ability to construct a safe and resilient pipeline, and we support his decision to put Americans’ health and environment above industry interests,” the U.S. representatives said.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Dan Grebler)
GAO report finds multiple problems with Keystone pipeline
ReutersStaff
Published Monday, August 23, 2021
In this Dec. 18, 2020 photo, pipes to be used for the Keystone XL pipeline are stored in a field near Dorchester, Neb. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government watchdog found multiple problems with the construction, manufacture and design of the Keystone XL pipeline, validating President Joe Biden's decision to revoke its permit, leaders of several House Democratic committees said on Monday.
The committee leaders requested the Government Accountability Office report in November 2019 after more than 11,000 barrels crude oil leaked from the pipeline in two releases in less than two years.
"In its thorough review of the pipeline’s history and construction, GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline’s spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends," they said in a statement.
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Keystone's four largest spills were "caused by issues related to the original design, manufacturing of the pipe, or construction of the pipeline," the GAO report said.
Biden canceled Keystone XL's permit on his first day in office on Jan. 20, dealing a death blow to a long-gestating project that would have carried 830,000 barrels per day of heavy oil sands crude from Alberta to Nebraska.
"TC Energy’s record among its peers is one of the worst in terms of volume of oil spilled per mile transported," a statement from the lawmakers said.
They included Representatives Peter DeFazio, transportation committee chairman, Frank Pallone, energy and commerce committee chair, Donald Payne, chair of a subcommittee on railroads and pipelines and Bobby Rush, chair of a subcommittee on energy. the lawmakers said.
"President Biden was clearly right to question this operator’s ability to construct a safe and resilient pipeline, and we support his decision to put Americans’ health and environment above industry interests,” they said.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Barbara Lewis)
ReutersStaff
Published Monday, August 23, 2021
In this Dec. 18, 2020 photo, pipes to be used for the Keystone XL pipeline are stored in a field near Dorchester, Neb. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government watchdog found multiple problems with the construction, manufacture and design of the Keystone XL pipeline, validating President Joe Biden's decision to revoke its permit, leaders of several House Democratic committees said on Monday.
The committee leaders requested the Government Accountability Office report in November 2019 after more than 11,000 barrels crude oil leaked from the pipeline in two releases in less than two years.
"In its thorough review of the pipeline’s history and construction, GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline’s spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends," they said in a statement.
Related Stories
Energy company wants US$15 billion from the Biden administration for blocking the Keystone XL pipeline
TC Energy Q2 earnings slip to $982M but comparable profits up 21 per cent
Keystone's four largest spills were "caused by issues related to the original design, manufacturing of the pipe, or construction of the pipeline," the GAO report said.
Biden canceled Keystone XL's permit on his first day in office on Jan. 20, dealing a death blow to a long-gestating project that would have carried 830,000 barrels per day of heavy oil sands crude from Alberta to Nebraska.
"TC Energy’s record among its peers is one of the worst in terms of volume of oil spilled per mile transported," a statement from the lawmakers said.
They included Representatives Peter DeFazio, transportation committee chairman, Frank Pallone, energy and commerce committee chair, Donald Payne, chair of a subcommittee on railroads and pipelines and Bobby Rush, chair of a subcommittee on energy. the lawmakers said.
"President Biden was clearly right to question this operator’s ability to construct a safe and resilient pipeline, and we support his decision to put Americans’ health and environment above industry interests,” they said.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Barbara Lewis)
BY RACHEL FRAZIN - 08/23/21
© Getty Images
A group of House Democrats is arguing that a new report on spills from the Keystone Pipeline System boosts President Biden’s case for canceling the Keystone XL, which would’ve formed part of the network.
Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.), Peter DeFazio (Ore.), Bobby Rush (Ill.), and Donald Payne Jr. (N.J.) said in a joint statement that the new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report “validates President Biden’s decision to revoke the permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline.”
“In its thorough review of the pipeline’s history and construction, GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline’s spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends,” said the Democratic lawmakers, who chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and subcommittees on energy and railroads, pipelines and hazardous materials, respectively.
“In fact, GAO found that, while corrosion was the industry’s leading cause of such accidents on crude oil pipelines, half of Keystone’s accidents were caused by material failure of the pipe or weld," they added. “President Biden was clearly right to question this operator’s ability to construct a safe and resilient pipeline, and we support his decision to put Americans’ health and environment above industry interests.”
The report determined that since 2010, Keystone’s accident history is similar to that of other pipelines, but that its record has worsened in recent years. It particularly cited two more recent spills — one in 2017 and another in 2019 — that accounted for about 93 percent of the total barrels of oil released from the vessel network over the course of a decade.
How Keystone’s operator TC Energy fared compared to its peers varied based on the time period and metrics used in the report.
Using a government measure of the number of accidents impacting people and the environment per total miles of pipeline, the GAO said TC Energy was “consistently” better than the national average, though “less so” in recent years.
Over the five-year period of 2016 to 2020, TC was around average, ranking 43rd out of 80 operators when measuring from the fewest accidents to the most.
In terms of volume of oil spilled per barrel-mile of transport, TC was better than average over the past decade, worse than average of the past five years and better than average for the past three years.
The report said that Keystone’s accidents were more likely to be caused by construction issues, approximately half of those impacting people or the environment, compared to 12 percent industrywide.
In a letter accompanying the report, TC Executive Vice President Leslie Kass said that safety is a “core value” for the company. Kass also said that it had taken additional measures to improve safety, including a new tool that allows it to detect imperfections more easily.
The Keystone Pipeline System stretches across nearly 3,000 miles and delivers crude oil around North America.
The Keystone XL Pipeline, which became a flashpoint in the environmental debate surrounding pipelines, would’ve added an additional route from Canada to Nebraska.
Biden nixed a permit that would’ve allowed the new pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border, ultimately leading to its downfall.
The move was polarizing, leading to cheers from many environmentalists but significant pushback from Republicans.
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