State of the Union Address Live Thread [9-11pm EST]

January 20, 2015 | B. Hussein Obama

[gleeaikin]

Looks a bit like Catastrophism to me. Interesting pictures in those 3 comments. Can you post links?
A major problem with the tar sands dilbit (tarry sands diluted with volatile chemicals so it will flow) is that it is much more abrasive and corrosive than standard pipeline oil. With this break a problem was that pumping through the pipeline was normally intermittent as downstream oil was needed. The guys upstream thought there was no pumping happening. Instead the leak was happening for around 24 hours, and you can see how big the break was (Comment #1098). Another problem is that unlike regular oil which mostly floats on water and can be skimmed off, dilbit is heavy and sinks to the bottom where it is much harder and more costly to collect and remove.

Here is reporting and comments on another oils spill. This time into the Yellowstone River. There is a map showing where the proposed Keystone Pipeline crosses that river. Full disclosure: some of the pretty photos are of the Park which is up river. However, there are some really interesting, detailed and apparently knowledgeable comments about how the oil spill can affect plants and especially animals in the wider environment even though a pipeline break would contaminate down river.

[caww]

Links are from ‘image’ buttons just by putting in Kalamazoo spill. You can then click on the “view page” for the articles about.

All in all piping tar sand oil is not the same as piping oil as you referenced....esepcially when there’s a spill...which creates terrible problems.

I still have not seen any information that has convinced me Keystone is to our binifit....tempory jobs is not sufficient for the risks and costs we have to assume for Canada.

It’s like asking us if they can run their garbage trucks over our land but if they spill over we have to clean it up for them.