Morgan Caplan, morgan.caplan@sierraclub.org
Topeka, KS – It has been reported that TC Energy’s (formerly TransCanada) Keystone pipeline has sprung yet another leak, this time in Washington, Kansas. The size of the spill is still unknown. But oil has spilled into a Kansas creek. This is not the first spill from the Keystone 1 pipeline, which has a history of spills. In fact, this is the pipeline’s 22nd spill, a dozen of which happened in its first year of operation alone and in 2017 one of these spills dumped more than 400,000 gallons of oil into farmland in South Dakota. Keystone shut down the pipeline last night and crews are currently working to clean up this latest spill.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Director Catherine Collentine released the following statement:
“Yet again, we are faced with a toxic tar sands spill from the Keystone pipeline and while the damages from this latest spill are still unknown, it will have an impact on this water source and surrounding areas. This is not the first time this pipeline has spilled and unfortunately we know all too well that it won’t be the last. We’ve always said it’s not a question of whether a pipeline will spill, but when, and once again TC Energy has made our case for us. There is no such thing as a safe tar sands pipeline and this is another disaster that continues to prove we must put our climate and our communities first.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.