Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Exxon Says It Won't Disclose Inspection Results of Ruptured Pipeline's Condition

Tar ball on the edge of a cove in Mayflower, Ark. in the wake of Exxon's Pegasus pipeline spill. Credit: National Wildlife Federation
The 1940s-era construction process that ExxonMobil said caused an oil pipe to rupture in Arkansas earlier this year is a common and well-documented problem the pipeline industry has battled for decades—and one the industry believes can be detected and controlled with appropriate vigilance.

That leaves the public and regulators with two critical questions:  Did Exxon manage and test its broken Pegasus pipeline according to established guidelines?  And, if it did, is the Arkansas accident a warning that other pipelines might be at risk?  If so, the repercussions would be nationwide, since many of the nation's liquid fuel and natural gas pipelines are of similar vintage and were built using the same inferior construction techniques.

Exxon Says It Won't Disclose Inspection Results of Ruptured Pipeline's Condition

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