Pipeline safety threatens Canadian oil-sands expansion
US regulators have reported concerns over the safety of the pipelines
Canadian oil producers are putting on a brave face for the future of oil-sands expansions after a damning report by the US regulators raised serious concerns over the safety of export pipelines to the Lower 48 states. On 11 July, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stopped short of accusing pipeline operator Enbridge of negligence in relation to a 2010 leak that dumped 20,000 barrels of heavy oil-sands crude into the Kalamazoo River near Michigan. Instead, the board painted a picture of incompetence and compared the company to the inept "Keystone Cops" in its response to the spill, which took 17 hours to stop the flow after it was first detected. The choice of words by NTSB chair
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