...Since 1968, what is considered to be the most fragile of these lines, line 5 run by a Canadian firm, Enbridge, Inc., has leaked over 1.1 million gallons of oil into the Straits.
Most people do not realize that this ecosystem is actually considered to be one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. A major spill would be disastrous to the largest body (the Great Lakes system) of fresh water in the world. It is a vitally important area, both ecologically and economically speaking...
That is contradictory. That ecosystem is still going strong after 1.1 million gallons of oil have leaked into the straits. How fragile can it be? (I will actually contradict myself below, as I add perspective, because 1.1 million gallons isn't a lot, as it turns out.)
And to put things in perspective from the original post of 500 gallons being spilled, even at low flows of 250 cfs at the San Juan, for instance, that is equivalent to the release of oil for just over a quarter of a second from the dam.
Ecosystems are not that fragile. I recall the Animas disaster that wasn't, and the BP spill in the gulf (both already cited here). Every time there is a spill of something, loud cliches of doom predictably follow. We are left in our mind's eye with pictures of the initial damage, which looks bad. Few, if any, pictures are taken 10 years later. Almost all we ever see are the immediate aftermath, and not the healing; it's not news when it looks like it's supposed to, it doesn't even rate a story. Nature has an amazing ability heal herself. Ten years is not even a speck in time. We also lack perspective when we read about a 500 gallon oil spill, or even a 1.1 million gallon leak. The larger leak noted here amounts to 3.38 acre feet. The two lakes that surround the Straits of Mackinac--Lake Michigan and Lake Huron--are 6,859,000,000 acre feet. That is 5 one-hundred millionths of a percent, if I've done my decimal work correctly. Hardly anything to worry about.
There were some pretty heated arguments about the Gold King Mine spill (courtesy of the EPA; your tax dollars at work!) on this forum a few years back. Guess who was right? It wasn't the doomsayers.
I have to ask - what is a better/safer way to transport products?
Let's try trains!! Oh, wait...ask the people--those that are left, and the buildings and parts of downtown that remain--of Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Ahhh...never mind. Let's stick with pipelines.