Letter To The Editor:
Two topics that Steelworkers are well versed in, and they collided with one another during the recent rupture of the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, now operated by Marathon, spilling over 160,000 gallons of oil into Cahokia Creek in Edwardsville, Illinois.
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USW members are very familiar with the importance of steel chemistry, especially when the end-product will be a 32-inch spiral-weld pipeline that pumps highly corrosive tar sands, a very heavy oil that requires high pressure to push the product 1,600 miles.
Steelworkers and our allies warned TransCanada that the chemistry oversight during production of this steel should have been more vigilant before they chose to procure the order from Wellspun, an India steelmaker. They chose cheap over quality control and long-term integrity.
One thousand people rallied in Granite City, Illinois when 260 railcars were being unloaded within the shadows of US Steel/Granite City Works to highlight the many pitfalls, such as violating trade agreements, India state subsidies, and the questionable quality of the steel. Now, 12 years later, our Paul Revere moment has proven prophetic.
The 2010 commissioning of this pipeline has been plagued with multiple failures leading to the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration's mandate to dig and replace large portions of the pipeline. Most of the sections that suffered spills were in remote locations, falling under the radar.
Market distorting practices should have resulted in punitive actions. Unfortunately, those who value the climate, conservation, clean water, and fair-trade practices, are the ones who have suffered the punitive effects.
Doug May
Collinsville, Illinois
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