Our View: Gulf spill shouldn’t decrease Keystone confidence

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has alerted the world to the potential environmental dangers that come hand-in-hand with energy exploration.

The mess in the Gulf apparently is nowhere near being fixed. Oil still flows unabated into the ocean and will continue to wash up on shores in America and eventually the rest of the world.

If anything, the Gulf oil spill may highlight the importance of land-based energy sources, including the sometimes controversial Keystone pipelines that carry crude from the oil-rich sands of Canada to locations in the United States. One Keystone pipeline already has been placed through eastern South Dakota, while another is to be placed in the central and western sections of the state.

Environmental concerns have been raised about the Keystone lines, too. Landowners in South Dakota have expressed their concern that oil can seep from the pipe and taint the farmland through which the pipelines pass.

In past months, we have shared those concerns.

We suspect the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico will now raise concerns about oil pipelines everywhere. As crude continues to spoil the waters and sands — and industry — in the southern United States, such alarm is inevitable.

Earlier this year, a federal report concluded there would be limited impact to the environment from the Keystone XL pipeline if it is operated according to the specifications of its parent company, TransCanada. The report noted a “low probability” of a catastrophic spill, but concluded that the potential for “construction and operated-related spills does exist.”

And Public Utilities Chairman Dusty Johnson recently said spills from landbased pipelines are rare, and the average spill across the nation in recent years is the equivalent of about three barrels. Also, he noted earlier this year that emergency crews are able to quickly respond to spills and other problems.

In the Gulf, it’s a much different story. After more than a month, crews there appear to have made little headway.

Again, we have been among those who have questioned TransCanada and its methods and emergency plans for the pipelines it is placing through South Dakota. We also have been proponents of the pipelines, because of the dollars they will bring to our taxing entities.

As oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, we understand there may be renewed concerns about oil pipelines. It’s only natural.

However, it would be unfair to place the Keystone pipelines into the same category as those oil rigs that dot the horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

If some sort of leak or spill occurs within South Dakota’s borders due to a problem with the Keystone lines, we are confident it will be a small problem that can be easily solved.

Because we feel the potential for disaster is low and the economic boon is high, we feel more than ever that the Keystone lines are worth it here in South Dakota.

Tags: our view, opinion