Keystone Pipeline Leak Spills 17,000 Gallons Of Oil Into South Dakota

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Keystone Pipeline Leak Spills 17,000 Gallons Of Oil Into South Dakota

Since Saturday, the Keystone Pipeline has spilled an estimated 16,800 gallons of oil into South Dakota, according to TransCanada Corporation. The 400-barrel estimate is based on the excavation of soil to expose more than 100 feet of pipe and takes into account factors including oil observed in the soil and the potential area affected.

The Keystone Pipeline leak is far worse than people realized, since officials were stating the leak spilled less than 200 gallons originally.

According to TransCanada, the leak has been “controlled,” but they have yet to find the source of the leak.

The pipeline beings in Alberta, Canada and runs to refineries in Illinois and Cushing, Oklahoma, passing through the eastern Dakotas, Nebraska and Missouri. The entire pipeline is able to handle 550,000 barrels (23 million gallons) daily. It would’ve been a part of Keystone XL pipeline if President Barack Obama had not rejected it last November.

The short-term impact includes less-heavy Canadian crude will be reaching the market, but since the system is oversupplied consumers are unlikely to see any changes at the gas station.

But the real concern is what the Keystone Pipeline leak will do to the vulnerable environment.