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185days since
Latest Enterprise oil pipeline spill

Enterprise spilled 2520 gallons of crude oil near Bowie TX, because of corrosion of a pipe, January 21, 2014.

Enbridge spilled 42 gallons of crude oil near Mokena IL, January 1, 2014.

Oklahoma and Texas maps showing that route of Seaway pipeline passes near DFW
Seaway Pipeline Project Map
Click to Enlarge
 

797days since
Enbridge/Enterprise Seaway Pipeline Began Operations

Seaway - A Pipeline of Poison


The Enbridge/Enterprise Seaway Pipeline began operations in May 2012.[1] It reversed a 36-year old pipeline to carry tar sand crude from Cushing OK to the Texas Gulf coast.[2] In January 2013, the flow rate for Seaway was increased when new pumps were brought online[3] Enbridge and Enterprise announced in March, 2012, plans to build a twin pipeline next to the existing Seaway.[4] Seaway Crude Pipeline began construction of the Seaway Loop in June, 2013.
 
Concerns regarding the Seaway include the following:
  • Tar Sand is far more toxic than conventional crude.
  • Pipeline transports highly pressurized, acidic and corrosive material, making pipes susceptible to rupture.
  • Aging pipeline is over 36 years old (built in 1976).
  • Tar sand spill threatens DFW water supplies and their tributaries with proprietary material that is difficult, if not impossible to clean up.
  • Tar sand crude will increase U.S. oil costs 2-4 billion dollars.
  • Tar sand is meant for export, not to decrease our dependency on foreign oil.
  • Lack of oversight demands both federal and state agency intervention regarding tar sand pipelines.
 

Pipelines

5/27/2014 New safety requirements set for Keystone pipeline

Texas Pipeline Watch
3/26/2014 Five Dirty Pipelines you've never heard of; Seaway is on the list.
Texas Pipeline Watch's website has maps of all the tar sand pipelines in Texas.
Texas Pipeline Watch's Facebook timeline has up to the minute postings by volunteer pipeline monitors around the state.
2/22/2014: Twenty-two Unreported Spills from Enbridge's line9 in Canada
11/12/2013: Southern half of Keystone XL is a dented, sagging mess
 
 

 

1.^ Seaway Pipeline send oil to Texas in historic reversal, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/19/us-oil-seaway-startup-idUSBRE84I0EC20120519
2.^ Enbridge, like other tar sand carriers such as TransCanada, often refers to tar sand crude oil as "crude oil". Thus, we hear that "crude oil" is bottlnecked in Cushing OK. The bottleneck is attributed by Bloomberg News to Canadian and Nebraskan oil sands, also known as tar sands,  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-02/enterprise-seeks-pricing-muscle-for-seaway-oil-pipeline
3.^ NYMEX-U.S. crude up after Seaway pipeline pumps oil from Midwest, January 14, 2013, Reuters http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/14/markets-asia-nymex-idUKL4N0AJ02X20130114
4.^ Enterprise and Enbridge to Proceed With 450,000 Barrel Per Day Expansion of Seaway Crude Oil Pipeline, March 12, 2012, Enbridge, http://www.enbridge.com/MediaCentre/News.aspx?yearTab=en2012&id=1589619