Oil Spills Expected If Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved

In late August, the U.S. State Department issued an official statement which claimed the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline posed no significant threat to the environment or human health.

The Keystone XL is a 1,711-mile pipeline that will transport crude oil from the Canadian tar sands across the Great Plains to refineries on the Gulf Coast. In its final environmental impact statement (EIS) the State Department admitted that “throughout its life cycle, oil sands crude is, on average, more greenhouse gas intensive than the crude oil it would replace in the U.S,” but said that the pipeline’s owner, TransCanada, had reduced the risks of an accident to an acceptable level.

As the DeSmogBlog infographic below shows, the State Department’s estimate that the Keystone XL pipeline could only spout oil spills between 1.78 and 2.51 times per year, is completely bogus. Approving the Keystone XL would place American families and wildlife in direct danger–something President Obama said he wouldn’t allow.

“The State Department’s in charge of analyzing this, because there’s a pipeline coming in from Canada,” stated the President during an interview with a Nebraskan television station. “They’ll be giving me a report over the next several months, and, you know, my general attitude is, what is best for the American people? What’s best for our economy both short term and long term? But also, what’s best for the health of the American people?”

BP Sneaks Back Into The Gulf Of Mexico

Mark Ruffalo Connects Keystone XL, Fracking, And Occupy Wall Street

Image Credit: Flickr – mothernature photography

Infographic via DeSmogBlog

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Mario A.

9:08AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

The spills that have happened may be small but it just all leads up to a bigger one some day.here are some lyrics to a song by Disturbed "Another way to die"

The indulgence of our lives has cast a shadow on our world.
Our devotion to our appetites betrayed us all.

An apocalyptic plight
More destruction will unfold.
Mother Earth will show her darker side and take her toll.

It's just another way to die.

There can be no other reason why.
You know we should have seen it coming.
Consequences we cannot deny will be revealed in time.
Glaciers melt as we pollute the sky.
A sign of devastation coming.
We don't need another way to die.
Can we repent in time?

The time bomb is ticking and no one is listening.
Our future is fading.
Is there any hope we'll surive?

Still, we ravage the world that we love.
And the millions cry out to be saved.
Our endless maniacal appeite.
Left us with another way to die.

It's just another way to die.
Oh, Can we repent in time?

Greed and hunger led to our demise.
A path I can't belive we followed.
Black agenda's rooted in a lie.
Will we repent in time?

Species fall before our very eyes.
A world that they cannot survive in,
Left them with another way to die.
Are we dead inside?

The time bomb is ticking and no one is listening.
Our future is fading.
Is there any hope we'll surive?

Still, we ravage the world that we love.
And the millions cry out to be saved.
Our endless maniacal appeite.
Left us with a

send a green star

Derrick F.

12:08PM PST on Dec 16, 2011

Would you like to stop the Keystone XL pipeline? Then stop demanding the product it carries. I'm sorry I've got to pull an Al Gore-ism on everyone, but seriously... Who here doesn't drive a car every day? (I don't) The only way we're going to stop the destruction of our environment for energy is to stop using the energy. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how much we hate, despise, or protest against the companies that provide us what we demand, they'll deliver it, somehow, at a price.

Alicia N.

7:49AM PST on Nov 6, 2011

noted and I just hope that our President Obama will do the right thing.

Carole R.

8:24PM PDT on Nov 5, 2011

Thanks for the post.

Duane B.

5:53AM PDT on Nov 5, 2011

Thank you for the information.

Pat D.

8:00PM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

Oil spills are inevitable. Mt is still working on cleaning up the mess that occured this summer (Yellowstone area). This pipeline is a joke on US. We won't benefit from it but we will have to live with it.

sandra m.

1:31AM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

Another accident...another nail in the Earth's coffin

Patrick F.

12:23AM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

Being in the majority doesn't mean the minority has to live in your refuse.

12:21AM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

I am not against oil, I am not against people owning cars, I am not against drilling for oil, I am not against extracting oil from soil and transporting it to Texas or wherever, I AM against using a pipeline to do it, I AM against putting the chemicals in it to make it flow. A single tremor could cause a rupture,by the time it is repaired, whole ecosystems and PEOPLE'S homes could be rendered inhabitable, not by their choice.

Every foot has to be proven safe, that's 11336160 feet, do you like the odds?

How about the fact that this pipeline goes through part of the Ogallala Aquifer? How do you like the odds now?

Dolores M.

11:39PM PDT on Nov 3, 2011

If Obama is for the people and our environment he would stop this pipeline. Obama is just like any career poltician (plus being a lawyer) Dem or Rep, only caring about himself and the almighty dollar. He's already fooled many once with his big talk on change..don't give him another chance. Vote the Rep & Dem out of office and let's have the guts to vote Independent or Green for a real change!!!