Cleanup efforts are actively taking place in rural North Dakota following a significant spill from the Keystone crude oil pipeline. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in an estimated 3,500 barrels of crude oil spilling into nearby agricultural land, as reported by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Cleanup and Regulatory Response

As of Friday, the response team has successfully recovered approximately 1,170 barrels of oil using five vacuum trucks, with additional cleanup operations ongoing. PHMSA has deployed eight inspectors to scrutinize the pipeline rupture, and the operator of the Keystone pipeline has committed to cooperating fully with the federal investigation. This includes a pledge to delay the restart of the pipeline until receiving approval.

Legal Context and Advocacy Challenges

In the backdrop of this incident lies a complex legal landscape. Recently, a North Dakota jury awarded Energy Transfer and its subsidiary over $660 million in damages against Greenpeace, stemming from its protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Sushma Raman, interim executive director of Greenpeace USA, has emphasized that such legal actions pose significant threats to the rights of individuals and organizations to protest against environmental hazards.

“There is no fail-safe way to transport oil and gas, and the risks unfairly fall on the people who live near the route, while the company reaps the benefits,” Raman stated in a recent comment highlighting the risks associated with fossil fuel transportation.

Concerns Over Pipeline Safety

Environmentalists have raised alarms regarding the historical safety record of the Keystone pipeline. Policy analyst Paul Blackburn from Bold Alliance pointed out that the Keystone pipeline has experienced a higher frequency of spills compared to other pipelines, with nearly 1.2 million gallons spilled since the Dakota Access pipeline became operational in June 2017. In contrast, the Dakota Access pipeline has recorded a mere 1,282 gallons in spills during the same timeframe.

Calls for Change

Following the latest spill, calls for stronger pipeline safety regulations have intensified. U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a proponent of Green New Deal legislation, voiced the need to push for stricter safety measures and a transition away from reliance on fossil fuels. “The Keystone oil pipeline has ruptured and spilled—again. We must continue to fight for strong pipeline safety requirements and get rid of dirty fossil fuels once and for all,” he remarked on social media.

The Bigger Picture

With incidents like this spill underscoring the vulnerabilities within fossil fuel infrastructure, environmental advocates argue that the legal framework must adequately protect the rights of those who confront these industries. As echoed by David Suzuki and Ian Hanington, the increasing use of legal tactics designed to silence dissenters poses a significant threat to public advocacy and environmental protection. They argue that solidarity is essential for those working to safeguard the environment against corporate interests.