U.S. study predicts pipeline spills

March 28, 2012

FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA. - A recent study from Cornell University argues that if Keystone XL is approved in its entirety, it’s not a matter of if a catastrophic leak will occur, it’s when.

Industry officials, however, insist pipelines are the safest method of transporting crude oil.

The authors of the study compiled statistical data from spills in the completed portion of the pipeline between Alberta and Illinois.

The study found that since June 2010, that section experienced more than 35 spills in the U.S. and Canada. In its first year, the spill frequency for Keystone’s U.S. segment was 100 times higher than TransCanada’s forecast.

The authors say this data means a major spill for Keystone XL is a statistical certainty if the pipeline is operated over the next 50 years.

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