The Keystone XL Pipeline from Canada to the United States shut down by President Joe Biden earlier this year spilled more than 11,000 barrels of oil in its two worst leaks in 2017 and 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd August, 2021) The Keystone XL Pipeline from Canada to the United States shut down by President Joe Biden earlier this year spilled more than 11,000 barrels of oil in its two worst leaks in 2017 and 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report on Monday.
The two largest spills in Keystone's history in 2017 and 2019 were among the six accidents that met PHMSA [Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration]'s criteria for accidents 'impacting people or the environment,'" the report said.
GAO said in the report that the two accidents spilled 6,592 barrels of oil at Amherst in November 2017 and 4,515 barrels at Edinburg in October 2019.
"In its thorough review of the pipeline's history and construction, GAO found that preventable construction issues contributed to the current Keystone pipeline's spills more frequently than the industry-wide trends. ... half of Keystone's accidents were caused by material failure of the pipe or weld," the report said.
Four of the pipeline's largest spills were caused by construction of the pipeline, manufacturing of the pipe or involved original design issues, the report added.
