yodudebc
Champion Author
Vancouver
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Message Posted: Feb 22, 2013 11:30:42 AM
Hi OceanArcher. Just to be clear, Enbridge is not planning to drill like they do in the Gulf of Mexico. They want to build a pipeline over what is arguably the most rugged terrain in North America: across mountains and chasms, through earthquake zones, over some of the last pristine rivers on the planet. A leak would wipe out a significant portion of the wild salmon run shared by BC and Alaska. I am amazed we haven't heard from anyone in Alaska on this thread.
The substance carried in the pipe would be bitumen, not sweet Texas crude or even heavy Alberta crude. The bitumen would be loaded onto supertankers bound for China, where it would be refined without environmental controls for the Chinese market.
A new supertanker port would have to be constructed at the head of a fijord in the the most treacherous waters of Canada, not far from where a coastal ferry went to the bottom. The ferry was of course far more maneuverable than a supertanker.
Enbridge's other pipelines in the US and Canada have been constructed of inferior Chinese pipe, and failures have been many and messy. Significantly, even in populated areas, it has taken Enbridge many days to respond to leaks, even in populated areas.
Enbridge has repeatedly been asked how they plan to reapond to a leak. They have no plan.
But in response to your suggestion <<Let 'em drill just outside of town. Shorter pipeline, and faster response should there be a problem .... >> I have to point out that they already do. Not Enbridge, but Petro-Canada and all the Chinese and multinational interests in Alberta.
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AmynHH
Veteran Author
Houston
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Message Posted: Feb 21, 2013 1:44:40 PM
I do not think so...
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OceanArcher
Champion Author
Mississippi
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Message Posted: Feb 21, 2013 1:36:26 PM
OK -- You don't feel calm about them drilling in the pristine wilderness because it's too remote. Let 'em drill just outside of town. Shorter pipeline, and faster response should there be a problem ....
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RecklessFire
Sophomore Author
Dallas
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Message Posted: Feb 21, 2013 11:40:30 AM
yes
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EnergyEngineer
Rookie Author
Oklahoma
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Message Posted: Feb 21, 2013 11:09:30 AM
Enbridge seems to always get their way. I guess enough money and political lobbying can get anything done
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_Sparty_
Champion Author
Chicago
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Message Posted: Feb 21, 2013 10:28:15 AM
I don't trust any of these operations to do the right thing in the name of profits. As they come up with more elaborate ways to extract oil, the risks go higher, and expose sensitive parts of the planet.
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yodudebc
Champion Author
Vancouver
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Message Posted: Feb 20, 2013 10:09:22 AM
It disturbs me that Enbridge has not come up with any plan to deal with spills in remote areas other than saying that they will.
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Houckster
Champion Author
Atlanta
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 10:01:22 PM
PITHYOPINER writes: Give 'em a shot. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
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Er . . . we used the same logic with BP and the Deepwater Horizon event. And we lost plenty.
The Keystone pipeline will run through a lot of very pristine forest and it has to be built right. That's where the government will come in as it has a legitimate right to protect the interests of the people. We've seen what happens when business is left to police itself and it's not pretty.
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slicerette
Champion Author
South Bend
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 10:17:08 AM
yes, they cleaned 'em up while the New York Times lied about the amount.
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yodudebc
Champion Author
Vancouver
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 10:11:42 AM
Is anyone familiar with Enbridge's record on pipeline spills?
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kjSC
Champion Author
South Carolina
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 7:41:49 AM
Yes
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enshaw
All-Star Author
Maryland
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 7:34:05 AM
sure
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MertieMan
Champion Author
Lexington
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 5:10:16 AM
You seem to forget that building a pipeline and running oil through it is entirely two different things altogether.
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giwan
Veteran Author
Michigan
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Message Posted: Feb 19, 2013 12:21:56 AM
I trust them and the Exxon had more to do with a possible drunk captain
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PithyOpiner
Champion Author
Stockton
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Message Posted: Feb 18, 2013 6:00:23 PM
Give 'em a shot. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
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OceanArcher
Champion Author
Mississippi
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Message Posted: Feb 18, 2013 12:45:53 PM
Bit of a difference between a pipeline and an oil tanker - no?
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