TransCanada Corporation (USA) (TRP): Why A Spill Like This Could Be A Disaster

Lack of information about dilbit’s interaction within aquifer
As Enbridge Inc (USA) (NYSE:ENB)’s example highlights, bad things can happen when dilbit crude spills into a river. But much less is known about dilbit crude’s interaction within an aquifer. Some argue that an aquifer is even more vulnerable than a river because once contaminated, it’s almost impossible for the damage to be reversed. Depending on the quantity of dilbit crude leaked and on its movement within the aquifer, the damage could end up being quite severe.

Though a recent analysis by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality found that a dilbit spill in the Ogallala aquifer would be less damaging than the Kalamazoo spill because groundwater contained within the aquifer moves more slowly than surface water, there simply isn’t enough information to make an informed judgment. Maybe a spill would irreversibly pollute the aquifer, maybe it wouldn’t. Nobody knows for sure.

The article Why a Spill Along Keystone XL Could Be Disastrous originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Arjun Sreekumar has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners.

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