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Nestled Amid Toxic Waste, a Navajo Village Faces Losing its Land Forever
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on February 20th, 2014
New York Times: In this dusty corner of the Navajo reservation, where seven generations of families have been raised among the arroyos and mesas, Bertha Nez is facing the prospect of having to leave her land forever.
The uranium pollution is so bad that it is unsafe for people to live here long term, environmental officials say. Although the uranium mines that once pocked the hillsides were shut down decades ago, mounds of toxic waste are still piled atop the dirt, raising concerns about radioactive dust and...
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Oil Spill in North Dakota Raises Detection Concerns
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on October 23rd, 2013
New York Times: For several days last month, Steven Jensen smelled the oil, wafting up over his rolling wheat farm near Tioga. But in that part of northwestern North Dakota, where the rush to tap the Bakken shale field is roaring, the scent of crude is hardly uncommon. It was not until Sept. 29 that Mr. Jensen came across a six-inch spurt of oil gurgling up from his land and reported a spill. As it turned out, a Tesoro Logistics pipeline had ruptured, spreading more than 865,000 gallons of oil across seven acres...
Scientists Find Canadian Oil Safe for Pipelines, but Critics Say Questions Remain
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on June 26th, 2013
New York Times: Diluted bitumen — the blend of thick Canadian crude that would be shipped by the proposed Keystone XL pipeline — is no riskier to transport than other types of crude oil, a new study has found, a conclusion that came under sharp attack by environmentalists. The study, which was conducted by the National Academy of Sciences and released on Tuesday, found that batches of diluted bitumen were no more likely to corrode or damage pipelines. And it determined that pipeline operators had no reason to change...
Keystone Pipeline Foes Vent in Nebraska
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on April 19th, 2013
New York Times: Hundreds of people braved heavy snow and wind on Thursday, streaming into this central Nebraska town to speak out on the Keystone XL pipeline at what may be the final public hearing on the project. The hearing, conducted by the State Department, drew hours of emotional testimony, mostly from opponents of Keystone XL, who whooped and applauded when anyone from their ranks spoke, and solemnly hoisted black scarves that read “Pipeline Fighter” during comments by the project’s supporters. “The Keystone...
Aging Pipeline Poses Threat to Great Lakes, Report Says
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on October 18th, 2012
New York Times: A report released on Thursday by the National Wildlife Federation questioned the safety of a network of oil pipelines operated by Enbridge that run through the Great Lakes region.
The group contends that Enbridge’s pipelines in the area are especially susceptible to spills because of their age and the company’s recent history of accidents -- creating a situation the environmental group said could be disastrous for the fragile ecosystems in Lake Michigan.
The report was prompted in part by Enbridge’s...
Protesters Gather at Keystone XL Site in Texas
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on October 13th, 2012
New York Times: Deep within the oak and pine forests that blanket this stretch of East Texas, the chug of machinery drones on late into the day, broken only by the sounds of a band of activists who have vowed to stop it. Here, among the woods and farmland, what might be one of the last pitched battles over the Keystone XL oil pipeline has been unfolding for weeks now, since construction of the controversial project’s southern leg began in August. As bulldozers and diggers churn up a 50-foot-wide path for the pipeline...
Lawmakers Seek Inquiry on Keystone XL Process
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on October 26th, 2011
New York Times: Lawmakers have called on the State Department’s inspector general to investigate the department’s handling of a crucial environmental study on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and urged President Obama to delay a decision on the project until the report is completed.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to Harold W. Geisel, the State Department’s deputy inspector general, 14 members of Congress asked the department to look into the relationship between the pipeline company, TransCanada, and the firm...
Partisans Rev Up for Keystone XL Hearings
Posted by New York Times: Dan Frosch on September 26th, 2011
New York Times: Opponents and supporters of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project are gearing up for a pivotal round of public meetings around the country this week -- forums that could play a role in whether the huge project receives final approval from the State Department by year’s end.
The pipeline, which would stretch nearly 1,700 miles from Canada to the Gulf Coast, has been a lightning rod for environmentalists who argue that the type of crude it would carry - a diluted mixture of bitumen drawn...