"Keystone XL pipeline - to carry Tar Sands bitumen from Alberta to Texas"
Media reports in Rabble> http://rabble.ca/multimedia/2011/09/hundreds-sit-protest-keystone-pipeline
and from Calgary, photos to show the oilmen that police are on their side >
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Gallery+Police+arrest+protestors+anti+...
Protests in Washington and Ottawa > http://www.greenconduct.com/news/2011/09/25/keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeli...
Protesters have been arrested by the 100s in Washington, and some in Ottawa.
The pipeline will carry dirty bitumen from Ft. Mac to Texas, where special refineries are equiped to turn it into gasoline.
That line will cross the Ogallala aquifer, the largest underground water supply in the USA. A spill might ruin that water.
Trans Canada Pipelines is the Canadian company that will build the pipeline if it goes ahead. They contend that the route over the Ogallala aquifer is the safest route.
On THAT point, some oddities are popping up, such as "expert testimony" by hydrologists. {note, there are many points to be made, this is the one inside thing I know of and it is all I can do today}
To Wit:
Safest Route?
The Trans Canada Pipeline's ["TCPL"] own webpage titled "Keystone XL Route Through Nebraska Safest Choice" > http://www.transcanada.com/5859.html references Jim Goeke [University of Nebraska hydrologist]:
"one of the leading hydrogeologists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Jim Goeke said in a recent Nebraska TV interview that the aquifer would not be at risk if there was a leak in Keystone XL."
In TV interviews done in response to protests over the XL line, a TCPL spokesperson claims that "this is the safest route" [the one that crosses that aquifer].
However, a little searching [by me] found this quote from Jim Goeke in 2010:
"... several groundwater and geology experts expressed concerns about running a large oil pipeline through an area that includes the Ogallala aquifer.
"There are states that would kill for this [aqufier]" University of Nebraska research hydrogeologist Jim Goeke said of the aquifer. "People are right to not want to mess this up."
"Goeke told lawmakers that there would be a good chance of oil reaching groundwater in the event of a leak in the Sandhills."
- end quote -
So there he is, saying two different things... "no risk", "risk".
Furthermore, TCPL's defence of this route cites the fact that many oil rigs and pipelines are allready there, over the aquifer. Does that make it right? Hardly!!
And, that "90% of the farmers in the area have signed on", as if they have the aquifer's health in mind rather than the $ they will get from TCPL for running pipe on their land.
The debate goes on - to build the pipeline or use our remaining time before the shit hits the fan to reduce our use of fossil fuels with renewable energy and alternative energy to fossil fuels.