2022 Keystone Pipeline oil spill

The Keystone Pipeline oil spill occurred on December 7, 2022, when a leak in the Keystone Pipeline released 13,^[1] 000 barrels of oil into a creek in Washington County, Kansas.^[2] The leak is the largest in the United States since the 2013 North Dakota pipeline spill and the largest in the history of the Keystone Pipeline.^[3][4][5]

Keystone Pipeline oil spill
Location	Washington County, Kansas, United States
Coordinates	39.8422617°N 96.9965473°W / 39.8422617; -96.9965473
Date	December 7, 2022
Cause
Operator	TC Energy
Spill characteristics
Volume	588,000 U.S. gallons (14,000 barrels)

Background

Main article: Keystone Pipeline System

The Keystone Pipeline System spans from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta to refineries in Texas.^[6] The oil pipeline is owned by TC Energy and the Government of Alberta.^[7] Pipelines in the Keystone Pipeline System go through stress tests prior to use.^[5]

Detection and response

At 9:01 p.m. EDT on December 7, the first indication of a leak on the pipeline was signaled. At 9:08 p.m., TC Energy launched an emergency shutdown of the Keystone Pipeline, following a drop in pressure.^[8] The Environmental Protection Agency built an earthen dam to contain the spill.^[5] The leak was detected near Washington County, Kansas, and spilled into Mill Creek, a creek that flows directly into the Little Blue River (Kansas/Nebraska).^[9] An evacuation order was not ordered.^[10][11]

Environmental impact

Although transportation of oil via pipelines causes less accidents with regards to incidence each year than when compared to automotive transportation of oil, the magnitude of oil that originates from a pipeline spill is much greater, therefore resulting in longer clean up times and the potential for greater environmental harm.^[12] The 2022 Keystone Pipeline oil spill resulted in over five hundred thousand gallons of oil covering approximately an acre and a half of farmland, which rendered the farmland unusable following the incident.^[13] The oil from the pipeline spill presented both short-terms and long-term ecological consequences, with the short term being the destruction of crops leading to a decreased crop yield and ability of land owners to profit economically from that land, as well the death of approximately 4 mammal and 71 fish in the immediately affected area.^[14] With regards to long term implications, it's likely the affected farmland will never regain function given the immense toxicological implications of this spill, therefore placing further economic burdens on the farm owners as their crop yields will likely not return to their former magnitude.^[14] Additionally, given that the oil transported through the Keystone Pipeline is a heavier, more toxic rendition of traditional oil, there is a high likelihood that that the oil which entered into the nearby water supply was able to accumulate on the sediment surface, presenting potential for harmful exposure to the harmful toxicological impacts of the oil in the years to come.^[14] In response to this spill, TC Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) constructed an earthen dam 4 miles downstream, despite the oil only traveling a quarter of a mile, to prevent further toxicological damages from being done.^[15] EPA and TC Energy also committed to around the clock air-monitoring and stated that no drinking water wells were impacted by the spill.^[15] These efforts also call into question the potential exposure of the 250 first responders to the harmful effects of the oil spill, highlighting further harmful potential impacts of the 2022 oil spill.^[13] Consideration of environmental hazards and the potential damages to property, water accesses, and human health, is therefore essential, especially in the event that expansion of the Keystone Pipeline occurs.

Pipeline investigation

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration began an investigation into the leak.^[8] The Environmental Protection Agency dispatched two coordinators, who determined there was no impact to drinking water in the Washington County area.^[16]

Cause of the spill

The independent analysis of the failure concluded that the failure occurred due to a combination of factors, including bending stress on the pipe and a weld flaw at a pipe to fitting girth weld that was completed at a fabrication facility.^[17]

Economic impact

The price of crude oil rose 5% following the shutdown of the Keystone Pipeline, before receding. The surge occurred during a selloff of the price of oil, following the 2021–2022 global energy crisis.^[8] TC Energy declared a force majeure upon news of the leak.^[18] The spill, which leaked into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, cost about $480 million in clean-up efforts.^[19]