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An environmental argument in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline

Environmentalists argue that pipeline leaks could cause pollution, contaminate water and harm wildlife, but the National Transportation Safety Board says its alternative isn't safe.

The organization has added a need for safer train cars to its Most Wanted List for 2015, saying a number of accidents demonstrate the DOT-111 tank cars moving these flammable liquids are not up to the task.

“These cars were designed to maybe have one or several in a consist but now we’re seeing unit trains with sometimes hundreds of these cars carrying crude oil," said Eric Weiss, spokesman for the NTSB. “The things can breach catch fire, and the next one can breach and catch fire, and so on and so forth which can really cause a lot of damage and have lost lives."

The NTSB has identified a number of weaknesses in the DOT-111 design, which can and have resulted in hazardous materials not only being released into the atmosphere but also igniting to cause serious damage.

Incidents include a 4,700-foot-long train containing 72 DOT-111 tank cars loaded with crude oil derailing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec in July 2013. About 1.6 million gallons of crude oil escaped from at least 60 cars, triggering a fire that killed 47 people and destroyed buildings.

The NTSB recommends strengthening existing rail tank cars and tank car integrity, adding new rail tank regulations and figuring out how to stop trains from derailing in order to prevent more tragedies from occurring.

The board also recommends selecting routes that minimize the amount of hazardous materials traveling through highly populated areas.

If the Keystone construction bill passes in the Senate, the Keystone XL Pipeline will move oil from Kansas to Texas through Cushing, OK. TransCanada, the owners of the Keystone XL Pipeline, will also store the oil in Oklahoma.

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