Oil companies in North Dakota fail to report almost 300 oil spills since 2012
Source: Raw Story
According to the Associated Press, the nations second largest oil-producing state, North Dakota, failed to inform the public of almost 300 oil pipeline spills in the last two years.
Even though many of the spills were small, [t]he public really should know about these, Don Morrison, the director of the Dakota Resource Council, told the AP. If there is a spill, sometimes a landowner may not even know about it. And if they do, people think its an isolated incident thats only happening to them.
Reporting such spills is significant, because even a barrel of oil could ruin water supplies, which would ruin countless acres of arable soil.
The director of the Department of Mineral Resources, Lynn Helms, told the Associated Press that companies are worried about over-reporting spills. The state is trying to strike a balance so that the public is aware of whats happening, but not overwhelmed by little incidents.
Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/25/oil-companies-in-north-dakota-fails-to-report-almost-300-oil-spills-since-2012/
benld74
(9,904 posts)yonder
(9,666 posts)but sometimes smaller states, unaccustomed to increasing regulatory needs, are overwhelmed by demands to properly oversee the impacts of newly established industries. They welcome the wealth, while "winking" at potential or actual problems. "This is the way they've always done it" and "they know what they're doing" falls flat when extractive interests can come in with an experienced attitude of "they'll never know what hit them so we shall do as we please". What a little spilt oil here and there?
Ezlivin
(8,153 posts)And we can't have people's complaints cutting into company profits!
cntrfthrs
(252 posts)Helms, the members of the public service commission (which exercises oversight over oil production in ND) and dalrymple the governor all accepted the maximum contribution from the oil companies so it isn't any wonder why nothing has been reported. We also have a repub super-majority in the state legislature...
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Berlum
(7,044 posts)Republican-controlled state hides the ugly truth from the public.
Freak Republicon OCCULTISM is a perilously EVIL force.