N.D. Oil Pipeline Should Be Rerouted
By DALE WETZEL 02.08.08, 1:55 PM ET
BISMARCK, N.D. -
Opponents of a proposed oil pipeline want North Dakota regulators to reroute it away from an aquifer, lake and forested river valley, saying the pipeline developer's efforts to safeguard against leaks are inadequate.
TransCanada Corp. (nyse: TRP - news - people ), which is developing the Keystone pipeline, has said it will install heavier pipe near the Fordville aquifer, which is six miles southwest of Park River in southern Walsh County, and close to Lake Ashtabula north of Valley City.
The company also agreed to use horizontal drilling to bury a section of pipe that will go beneath the Sheyenne River, to avoid cutting down a swath of trees in a forested area.
In a Public Service Commission filing, the Dakota Resource Council, a Dickinson-based environmental group, and several landowners affected by the Keystone project asked state regulators to order that the pipeline be rerouted.
It is unclear whether heavier pipe near the aquifer and lake, without moving the route, would help minimize the risk of a pipeline leak and subsequent water pollution, the filing says. The PSC is holding an informal work session Friday to discuss the project.
Jeff Rauh, a project spokesman, said the changes to which TransCanada has agreed are sufficient to address the safety concerns of pipeline opponents.
"We've addressed the concerns that have been brought forward," Rauh said. "What we see here is a repetition of the same arguments that have been made before."
The opponents' PSC filing also argues that the horizontal drilling method proposed for the pipeline's Sheyenne River crossing in Ransom County will put added stress on the pipeline and make any leaks more difficult to detect.
The drilling method was chosen to avoid cutting down a number of trees in the scenic valley, but "the most visually pleasing option is not necessarily the least-risk option for this ecologically sensitive area," the filing says.
"The (Public Service Commission) must consider an alternative conclusion, that the proposal by TransCanada to route its pipeline through an officially designated scenic byway is simply a bad one, regardless of any design concessions made by the company," it says.
The filing is signed by attorneys Matthew Shimanek, of East Grand Forks, Minn., and Jana Linderman, who works for Plains Justice, an organization based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The Keystone pipeline has been designed to run for 2,148 miles from Hardisty, Alberta to Wood River and Patoka, Ill., and Cushing, Okla. It is meant to carry up to 435,000 barrels of oil daily in late 2009, and 590,000 barrels daily the following year, TransCanada says.
The proposed line's route runs for 218 miles through eight counties in eastern North Dakota.
The PSC, which is in charge of siting oil pipelines in the state, is considering a final decision on the Keystone line's precise route.
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