Being that today is the 10-year anniversary of the Olympic Pipeline Explosion I thought I'd re-post this editorial I wrote for The Western Front in 2001.
*My views have changed since then, please see the comment section for my updated take.
Frontline
Western Front Editorial Board January 29, 2001
No explosions to report.
No deaths to count.
No lawsuits to cover.
No congressional hearings to talk about.
For most, silence is golden. But that goes double for
companies responsible for environmental disasters. Silence means people are beginning to forget. Silence means communities can return to business as usual.
That is exactly what the Olympic Pipe Line Company is trying to do: return to business as usual.
The pipeline isn't open - yet. But it will be in the near future. The company's new owners began refilling the pipeline on Friday. It could begin pumping fuel again as soon as next week.
The risks associated with the pipeline are clear. Three people died, an ecosystem was nearly destroyed and a community will never be the same.
This pipeline is simply a bad idea and it should not be re-opened. It runs through too many highly-populated areas. The next accident could take place in a much more populated area where the results will be worse than the last explosion.
One argument for the pipeline is that it is safer than alternative modes of transportation, like the tanker trucks or barges. However, when a tanker truck crashes, Congress doesn't get involved.
Gas stations in town don't seem to be running low on fuel in the pipeline's absence. So, obviously, there are viable alternatives to pumping flammable liquids through neighborhoods and city parks.
Olympic has done an outstanding job of waiting out criticism and downplaying the pipeline's importance. The fact of the matter is that this pipeline is a big deal, and people need to remember that.
People need to voice their opinions and make their feelings known. When this pipeline does reopen, public scrutiny will make Olympic accountable for its actions and therefore make the pipeline that much safer.
The company has agreed to install more safety devices along the pipeline to detect problems before they become disasters. It has also retrained employees to ensure safety. All of which seem to be responsible actions for the company to take.
Gee, maybe Olympic isn't that bad. Maybe they simply made a mistake and now are trying to make it right. Maybe we should just leave them alone.
Or maybe not.
Public scrutiny is the key to maintaining any sort of safety with this pipeline. Olympic workers who were on duty during the accident refuse to testify in front of the National Transportation Safety Board - hardly the actions of a community-conscious organization.
Silence breeds complacency. Complacency breeds problems - in this case, a 37-mile long problem.
Frontlines are the opinion of The Western Front editorial board: Andrea Abney, Heather Baker, J.R. Cook, Alex P. Hennesy, Jessica Keller, Levi Pulkkinen and Matt Williams.
1 comment:
While I stand by what I wrote back in 2001, to look at now, brings one phrase to mind ‘Oh, from the mouths of babes.’
That piece of that would now be called news analysis (used to be known as opinion/editorializing).
It’s a great example of student ‘reporting.’ Written with a fervor I can hardly muster nowadays, but with no real analysis. It was mostly written for effect, not to report.
I am sure Fox news was around in those days, though I didn’t watch it (I couldn’t afford cable). But I was ahead of the times, as I was pulling at heart-strings and working for one-liners instead of reporting the facts. (I am still pretty guilty of that.)
But enough covering, my formerly bright-eyed I-can-change-the-world self. I disagree with the idea that pipelines are a bad idea. They are obviously far safer/more efficient than carting gasoline around in trucks. If that weren’t the case, they never would have re-opened the thing.
And as much as I hate to sound like I am defending a pipeline or those operating it, there has been no news from Bellingham with regards to explosions, a testament to its safety.
While I agree with the idea that public scrutiny is the best safeguard against another disaster striking, I’m willing to bet another one will.
That is the cost of doing business. I drive a car. I need gas. That gas comes from somewhere.
As long as I am part of the problem, I can’t point a finger without blame.
The only way to make a 100% safe pipeline is to not use one.
I am trying to get there, but still have a long way to go.
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