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Oil
overruns Arkansas town: Many 'didn't even know' ExxonMobil pipeline
ran under their homes
Residents of Mayflower, Arkansas are shocked, frustrated and discouraged after an ExxonMobil oil pipeline - which many were unaware existed - burst, devastating the small town by flooding its streets with thousands of barrels of Canadian crude.
RT: Has any effort been made by ExxonMobil to apologize or provide compensation to residents?
CH: On Sunday afternoon I returned home from celebrating Easter with some family, and there was a letter from Exxon on my front door with ‘apologies for the inconvenience.’ I've been told that there is an Exxon agent at City Hall who is providing compensation for any receipt shown for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by residents from the effects of the oil spill.
Those who have been evacuated are being provided the hotel they're staying in. I have not received any indication of any kind of compensation or settlement offers. The major concern for many people in our neighborhood is a longer-term impact from the spill, both environmentally and financially. For example, what's this going to do to our property values?
RT: The spill comes amid growing opposition to the Keystone XL project, which would see an oil pipeline run across the Midwest. Environmentalists have raised concerns about pollution risks from the project. How do you and other locals feel about such projects, considering what has just happened to your community?
CH: An oil pipeline is fine until it ruptures in your backyard. I would personally rather have a new pipeline than the one that just ruptured, that is supposedly from the 1940s. I think you have to pay the piper. I don't know what the other options are, as long as America remains so oil-dependent.
RT,
1
April, 2013
Residents of Mayflower, Arkansas are shocked, frustrated and discouraged after an ExxonMobil oil pipeline - which many were unaware existed - burst, devastating the small town by flooding its streets with thousands of barrels of Canadian crude.
ExxonMobil
is cleaning up the town after an oil pipeline spilled thousands of
oil all over its streets. The company's Pegasus pipeline – which
can carry more than 90,000 barrels of Canadian Heavy crude oil per
day from Patoka, Illinois, to Nederland, Texas – was shut down
after the leak was discovered on Friday in a suburban area near the
Arkansas town of Mayflower.
“A
lot of people weren't even aware that the pipeline ran through the
area,” resident
Chris Harrell told RT.
Twenty-two
houses have reportedly been evacuated as locals wait for the green
light to return home.“The
major concern for many in our neighborhood is the long-term impact
from the spill, both environmentally and financially. For example,
what’s this going to do to our property values?” Harrell
said.
Harrell spoke to RT about the effects of the pipeline accident, and how residents are coping with the massive spill.
RT: We understand you live in a subdivision affected by the oil spill. Can you explain the situation to us?
Chris Harrell: The leak occurred around 3:00pm Friday afternoon Central Standard Time. I was only allowed into the neighborhood because my wife and children were still in our home. We packed their bags and sent them to her parents’ house, and I stayed in our home in the subdivision. The actual leak occurred on the street directly behind my house and flowed down. Those streets were the only ones that experienced forced evacuation. The rest of the neighborhood was advised to evacuate. Friday afternoon was quite chaotic – a lot of local state and federal officials in and out of the neighborhood trying to assess the situation and determine the best course of action.
RT: Twenty-two homes have been evacuated so far. How are people in the area dealing with the spill?
CH: Most of the people in the 22 homes that were evacuated are staying in local hotels. My neighbor directly behind me was forced to leave Friday afternoon, and was only allowed to come back to his home for 20 minutes to pack enough belongings for the next week. My family and I are allowed to be in our house a week. We are staying there now. However, there is a police checkpoint at the entrance to our subdivision – we have to show ID and be logged in and out to show who is in the neighborhood.
This is a precaution to avoid any potential looting, and also to keep track of any accidents that may occur during the cleanup. The smell is quite horrendous outside and especially in our home. There is a very strong smell of oil in our vehicles. It's quite an inconvenience to get in and out of the neighborhood. There are a lot of vehicles parked there, a lot of machinery, a lot of equipment. The street behind us is completely lit up at night. Crews are going 24 hours, it’s a lot of noise.
Harrell spoke to RT about the effects of the pipeline accident, and how residents are coping with the massive spill.
RT: We understand you live in a subdivision affected by the oil spill. Can you explain the situation to us?
Chris Harrell: The leak occurred around 3:00pm Friday afternoon Central Standard Time. I was only allowed into the neighborhood because my wife and children were still in our home. We packed their bags and sent them to her parents’ house, and I stayed in our home in the subdivision. The actual leak occurred on the street directly behind my house and flowed down. Those streets were the only ones that experienced forced evacuation. The rest of the neighborhood was advised to evacuate. Friday afternoon was quite chaotic – a lot of local state and federal officials in and out of the neighborhood trying to assess the situation and determine the best course of action.
RT: Twenty-two homes have been evacuated so far. How are people in the area dealing with the spill?
CH: Most of the people in the 22 homes that were evacuated are staying in local hotels. My neighbor directly behind me was forced to leave Friday afternoon, and was only allowed to come back to his home for 20 minutes to pack enough belongings for the next week. My family and I are allowed to be in our house a week. We are staying there now. However, there is a police checkpoint at the entrance to our subdivision – we have to show ID and be logged in and out to show who is in the neighborhood.
This is a precaution to avoid any potential looting, and also to keep track of any accidents that may occur during the cleanup. The smell is quite horrendous outside and especially in our home. There is a very strong smell of oil in our vehicles. It's quite an inconvenience to get in and out of the neighborhood. There are a lot of vehicles parked there, a lot of machinery, a lot of equipment. The street behind us is completely lit up at night. Crews are going 24 hours, it’s a lot of noise.
RT: Have
there been any local protests against ExxonMobil regarding the spill?
How are Mayflower residents reacting?
CH: There is some anger. There was some shock in the community. A lot of people weren't even aware that the pipeline ran through the area. There was a community meeting on Saturday afternoon with some Exxon officials present, and there was a lot of frustration shown at the meeting. Very few answers were given, and the people in attendance were quite angry.
RT: How many cleanup crews are there now? What are they doing, exactly?
CH: There are literally hundreds of cleanup crew people in our area, both in the neighborhood and over towards the lake, and in the ditches and drainages between the two. They started by blocking off the ditches to slow the oil flow. To keep it out of the lake, they put up booms in the lake to contain the one small wetland area where the ditch drains into. They then brought in trucks to vacuum up as much oil as they could, which is still ongoing, and also started working on washing off the street.
CH: There is some anger. There was some shock in the community. A lot of people weren't even aware that the pipeline ran through the area. There was a community meeting on Saturday afternoon with some Exxon officials present, and there was a lot of frustration shown at the meeting. Very few answers were given, and the people in attendance were quite angry.
RT: How many cleanup crews are there now? What are they doing, exactly?
CH: There are literally hundreds of cleanup crew people in our area, both in the neighborhood and over towards the lake, and in the ditches and drainages between the two. They started by blocking off the ditches to slow the oil flow. To keep it out of the lake, they put up booms in the lake to contain the one small wetland area where the ditch drains into. They then brought in trucks to vacuum up as much oil as they could, which is still ongoing, and also started working on washing off the street.
RT: Have
you been given any indication when the cleanup will be over and life
can return to normal? Are the crews communicating with residents in
any way?
CH: No one has a definite time frame on how long the crews will be in the area, but some folks are saying months. There's been no official communication with me from any of the crews. I have spoken to a few of the workers on a one-on-one basis, just standing around in my yard.
CH: No one has a definite time frame on how long the crews will be in the area, but some folks are saying months. There's been no official communication with me from any of the crews. I have spoken to a few of the workers on a one-on-one basis, just standing around in my yard.
RT: Has any effort been made by ExxonMobil to apologize or provide compensation to residents?
CH: On Sunday afternoon I returned home from celebrating Easter with some family, and there was a letter from Exxon on my front door with ‘apologies for the inconvenience.’ I've been told that there is an Exxon agent at City Hall who is providing compensation for any receipt shown for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by residents from the effects of the oil spill.
Those who have been evacuated are being provided the hotel they're staying in. I have not received any indication of any kind of compensation or settlement offers. The major concern for many people in our neighborhood is a longer-term impact from the spill, both environmentally and financially. For example, what's this going to do to our property values?
RT: The spill comes amid growing opposition to the Keystone XL project, which would see an oil pipeline run across the Midwest. Environmentalists have raised concerns about pollution risks from the project. How do you and other locals feel about such projects, considering what has just happened to your community?
CH: An oil pipeline is fine until it ruptures in your backyard. I would personally rather have a new pipeline than the one that just ruptured, that is supposedly from the 1940s. I think you have to pay the piper. I don't know what the other options are, as long as America remains so oil-dependent.
Keystoned?
Exxon under fire as 10k barrels of oil spills on streets, floods
Arkansas town
ExxonMobil
is continuing cleanup operations after an oil pipeline spilled
thousands of barrels of Canadian crude in Arkansas. The spill has led
many to speak out against oil sands exploitation and the construction
of Keystone XL pipeline.
1
April, 2013
Exxon's
Pegasus pipeline – which can carry more than 90,000 barrels of
Canadian Heavy crude oil per day from Patoka, Illinois, to Nederland,
Texas – was shut down after the leak was discovered on Friday in a
suburban area near the town of Mayflower, Arkansas.
Shocking
amateur video recorded by a resident that went viral, showing the
immediate aftermath of the spill as streets flooded and oil burst
forth:
"The
smell is quite horrendous both outside and inside our home. There is
a strong smell of oil in our vehicles, as well,"
resident
Chris Harrell told RT.
Twenty-two
homes have been evacuated so far, and more are expected. "Excavation
is necessary as part of an investigation to determine the cause of
the incident,"
Exxon spokesperson Alan Jeffers told Reuters.
The
accident has left evacuated residents seeking shelter elsewhere.
"Basically if it doesn't
fit in our car we don't have it right now,"
local resident Ryan Senia said. He had previously listed his home for
sale, but said the spill has forced him to take it off the market.
The
spill totaled upwards of 10,000 barrels, according to an ExxonMobil
press release. So far, about 12,000 barrels of oil and water have
reportedly been recovered. The company has deployed 15 vacuum trucks,
33 storage tanks and 120 workers to the cleanup site.
"There
are literally hundreds of cleanup crew people in our area...no one
has a definite time frame on how long they will be here, but some
people are saying months,"
Harrell saidEmer
Emergency
crews work to clean up an oil spill near Interstate 40 in Mayflower,
Arkansas March 31, 2013 (Reuters / Jacob Slaton)gency
crews work to clean up an oil spill near In
A
3,600-foot boom was also installed near Lake Conway, and an
approximately 51-centimeter pipeline was shut down to prevent the
spilled oil from reaching the water. So far, no oil has reached the
lake.
The
cause of the spill is being investigated, and cleanup operations are
being coordinated with the Department of Emergency Management and
other local authorities.
Meanwhile,
the community is anxious to see how the oil giant plans to handle the
situation: "The major
concern for many people in our neighborhood is the long-term impact,
both environmentally and financially. For example, what is this going
to do to our property values?"
Harrell said. He added that many local residents are angry, and were
not aware that the pipeline ran through the area.
Local
media reported that journalists were barred from entering the site
for over 30 hours following the disaster.
Thank
you Canada, fresh photo from Mayflower, Arkansas. Photo by KARK 4
News #Tarsands
#NoKXL
#NoGateway
#cdnpoli
pic.twitter.com/ucZE9JbCR7
20
РЕТВИТОВ 2
ИЗБРАННЫХ
@courtneyism
need to get a reporter to northwoods subdivision in mayflower. big
time oil leak pic.twitter.com/9SH1jpGQsT
2
РЕТВИТА
Keystone
Pipeline
The
leak comes amid growing opposition to the controversial Keystone XL
project, which would see an oil pipeline run across the US Midwest.
TransCanada Corp.'s plan to pipe Alberta oil sands to the US Gulf
Coast has been met with criticism over the possible environmental
impact.
The
project has been embroiled in ongoing controversy. Project supporters
have worked to persuade the US to approve the $7-billion project,
arguing that the Keystone XL would create thousands of new jobs and
free the country from energy dependence on South American exporters
such as Venezuela. However, environmentalists have expressed concerns
over the pollution risks inherent to the controversial tar sands
method of oil production.
Even
the US State Department admits the Keystone project will create
"numerous"
and "substantial"
impacts on the environment.
In
a March draft environmental impact statement, the US said that the
Canadian synthetic crude oil the pipeline is slated to transport into
the US produces 17 per cent more greenhouse gases than natural crude
oil already refined there. It also said that the construction phase
of the project would result in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to
about 626,000 passenger vehicles operating for one year.
The
report also said the pipeline could disturb highly erodible soil,
degrade streams, encroach on habitats of federally protected species,
and be susceptible to potentially disastrous leaks and spills.
But
despite its environmental toll, the US says the Keystone pipeline it
is still a better option than proposed alternatives which are “not
reasonable.”
President
Barack Obama will have the final say on the project, which has been
pending for more than four years, as environmental activists battle
to kill it.
Oilspill
in my hood pic.twitter.com/YtG1UQv6xr
4
РЕТВИТА
Last
week, the US Department of Transportation fined ExxonMobil
Corporation $1.7 million over pipeline safety violations in the 2011
Yellowstone River oil spill. The claim alleged that the company did
not respond quickly enough, and that there was a “known
threat,”
according to the US Pipeline Safety Administration.
The spill leaked
about 63,000 gallons of crude oil into the Montana River, and caused
massive flooding.
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