The path of a proposed oil pipeline that would cross Arkansas has raised concerns among some, including officials with the Arkansas Department of Health, who worry that it places several drinking water sources in the state at risk.
The Health Department and others say they want the route of the crude pipeline, which is being proposed by Plains All American Pipeline LP, moved away from the water sources so that if there's a leak, oil won't contaminate drinking water.
"When a pipeline ruptures it can dump millions of gallons of oil before it's shut off and that's our concern -- if this takes place in our watershed," said Danna Schneider, a member of the Clarksville City Council and the Arkansas River Valley Safe Water Coalition.
Adding to the concerns is the reminder of the 2013 rupture of an Exxon Mobil pipeline that spewed tens of thousands of gallons of crude into a Mayflower neighborhood and a cove of Lake Conway, she said.
"We all have images of the Mayflower spill on our minds," Schneider said.
The $900 million project proposed by Plains All American calls for the construction of about 440 miles of pipeline to move oil from Cushing, Okla., to Valero Energy Corp.'s refinery in Memphis.
The 20-inch pipeline will have a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day and will transport sweet crude from shale formations in Texas and North Dakota. The line, called the Diamond Pipeline, will stretch across the state in north-central Arkansas. A barrel is about 42 gallons.
Plains All American's website says it expects to receive permits for the project this year and for construction to be completed in 2017.
But before the company can start construction, it will need permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is examining the route's implications on navigable waterways.
The Corps' Little Rock district is evaluating about 498 water crossings, but not every one of them will require a permit, said Cynthia Blansett, environmental protection specialist with the agency.
The proposed route crosses several waterways, including the Arkansas River, Mississippi River, James Fork River and Big Piney Creek.
It also crosses several smaller waterways, and it is these smaller streams that are of particular concern because they connect to drinking water sources.
Last month, the state Department of Health sent a letter to the Corps of Engineers asking that an alternative pipeline route be considered.
The letter, dated March 1, said the department had reviewed the proposed path and "finds that elements of the route and the construction could have an adverse impact on public drinking water sources nearby. Given the risks of contamination posed by proximity to drinking water sources, [the department] requests that an alternative pipeline route south and downstream of these public water system intakes be chosen."
The agency identified watersheds and water intake areas that could potentially be affected by the pipeline in Johnson, Pope, Sebastian and Faulkner counties, according to the letter obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Jeff Stone, director of the Health Department's drinking water program, said that moving the route downstream would prevent oil from flowing into nearby water sources if a rupture occurred.
Stone, who said the department does not have an opinion on the pipeline itself, said the agency also is concerned that if a break occurred, local treatment plants would not be able to remove dangerous material from the drinking water.
"We are interested in protecting the drinking water sources," he said. "The primary concern is that during a spill ... some of the material might reach the point at which the drinking water system picks up the water and uses it."
One of the areas identified in the letter is Spadra Creek in Johnson County.
Spadra Creek connects to Lake Ludwig, which is the backup water source for Clarksville Light and Water. The municipal utility provides drinking water to about 28,000 people in Clarksville and surrounding areas.
The utility's primary water source is Piney Bay, which has two creeks -- Big and Little Piney creeks -- that flow into it. They will also be crossed by the pipeline, said John Lester, general manager of Clarksville Light and Water.
"Therefore, if there was a major disaster and there was an oil spill we have concern about it impacting the water quality and our intake," he said, adding that he's not opposed to an oil pipeline, just the route it takes across the watershed.
"I'm sure it will be done in a more reliable, safer way than the pipelines that are older, but I do not believe that there is such a thing as a pipeline that doesn't leak," Lester said. "And what I do know is that if it doesn't cross my watershed then my risk is zero."
Plains All American, which came under scrutiny in 2015 after one of its pipelines in California ruptured, sending thousands of gallons of crude into the Pacific Ocean, has emphasized the reliability of its Diamond Pipeline.
"We have reviewed the letter issued by the Arkansas Department of Health and we've met with representatives from Johnson County several times to discuss the Diamond Pipeline," said Brad Leone, spokesman from Plains All American, in an email.
"While the route of the pipeline is set, we are very interested in their viewpoint and are working with these and other groups to implement additional safety enhancements during the design, construction and operation of the pipeline," he said.
When asked about the concerns raised, the Corps of Engineers' Blansett said, "We have received their comments regarding the impact through Johnson County."
She said the agency has also been in contact with Plains All American.
"And they have responded, and tried to provide responses to the Arkansas Department of Health and Clarksville Light and Water," Blansett said.
Leone said the company will incorporate numerous safety elements into the construction of the Diamond Pipeline, including burying the pipe deeper than required to prevent disruption or damage.
"The Diamond Pipeline will comply with all applicable regulations including environmental and safety regulations," he said. "We will design, construct, operate and maintain this pipeline in a safe and reliable manner, and the pipeline will meet or exceed the United States Department of Transportation pipeline standards and will include a number of safety elements."
He said those standards include a route that has been developed to "minimize the collective impact to the environment and landowners during construction and to ensure the long-term safety and integrity of the pipeline once in operation."
Despite reassurances about the safety measures Plains All American plans to take when constructing the pipeline, Schneider said there's no guarantee that it won't rupture or leak once it's in the ground.
Because of that, the Arkansas River Valley Safe Water Coalition has started a change.org petition asking the Corps of Engineers to deny permits for the pipeline as it is proposed, she said.
"The longer the pipeline stays in the ground the more likely an accident will occur," Schneider said. "Our goal is to get them to move this pipeline out of our watershed."
SundayMonday Business on 04/03/2016