A wave of facepalms swept across Salt Lake City yesterday morning as word got out that the community, which is still recovering from a large oils spill in June, now had another one on it’s hands.
From the same company. In pretty much the same place. I ain’t making this up. 
Just five-and-a-half months ago, Chevron squirted 33,000 gallons of it’s crude into a pristine creek above the city. The spill washed downstream to a large recreation pond in Salt Lake’s version of “Central Park.” Then into the Jordan river and finally into a Great Salt Lake wildlife area. It’s still a disaster–the pond remains closed, and other cleanup and monitoring is ongoing.
Yesterday’s spill is estimated at around 100 barrels, and came within 50 feet of reaching the same creek. This happened only 500 feet from the location of the previous breach, and for different reasons, which remain unclear at this time. From what I’ve been able to piece together, the cause was something like…criminal neglect.
After I heard the news, I put some ice on my forehead, prepared some maps and rushed to a press conference at SLC Mayor Ralph Becker’s office. I didn’t know what to expect from the Mayor’s–sympathy for Chevron or something else–because just weeks ago I caught sight of a picture of Ralph smiling with other local officials and Chevron representatives at the dedication of the “Chevron Mile” along the Jordan River — the same river the corporation had befouled just two paragraphs ago.
Becker came into the room with a stern look, sat down, and made his position clear:
“I am outraged by the events that occurred this morning … At this point we can’t trust Chevron. The company has broken the trust we have in the work that has been done to give us a safe pipeline. I can’t help but be skeptical.” When pressed about whether Chevron would be allowed to provide the data for an investigation, the soft-spoken Becker was unusually blunt: “We cannot trust Chevron.”
I could have told him that. The Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador (the ones that are still alive) could have told him that. In fact, I think I did tell him. But I’m just glad this last one has brought the Mayor around to realizing what a lot of people already knew: oil spills suck a lot, but Chevron sucks more.
Becker then called for the indefinite shutdown of the pipe, which is another appreciably bold move. However, (apparently) only the Feds have the authority to keep it shut off. More on that later.
The questions now are: “does he mean it?” and, “Can there be such a thing as a ‘safe’ oil pipeline in this earthquake-prone, creek-striped, house-encrusted valley?”
Only Ralph can answer the first question, and will do so through his actions. If he means it, he won’t make the same mistake this time, that is, to let Chevron provide the data by which the city’s “independent” investigation of the spill and safety assessment was based. (Don’t palm your face too much, there’s more) More: Even the federal pipeline overlords who had the final say took Chevron’s inspection reports at face value. Eventually, the city determined things were ship-shape again and issued Chevron a bill for the cleanup. The feds wrote Chevron a ticket for a few hundred K, gave the green light, and the pipeline was now “safe.”
…
Who will oversee the upcoming investigation and safety inspection to assure that it is impartial? I’m willing to give the city one more chance, but only if Becker backs up his rhetoric with tangible actions. If he “cannot trust” Chevron, then by God, let’s fight the hell out of them and any white-collar feds when they try to let them get back to making easy money off a serious public heath hazard.
What if they rebuild the whole stretch through town? Even then, can the pipeline ever be safe?
That brings me to the maps I mentioned earlier. I wanted to know the exact route the pipeline takes through the city. Pretty simple information, right? No. Seems someone doesn’t want Ash Q. Public knowing anything about oil pipelines, regardless of their proximity to his or her kids’ bedrooms. Look over there at illustration 1
I. 1 Crude under the (upper middle class) 'hood
Now, since it would seem that this particular pipeline can’t even stand up against the rigors of … sitting there, what will happen if … something happens?
Like an earthquake? Check this out–the pipeline runs across the Wasatch fault (very active by geologic standards and overdue for a Big One) at least 3 times as it makes it’s way through the most densely populated areas of Salt Lake City. At one point, it follows the fault itself. Witness more of my mad Microsoft Paint skillz:
you're doing it wrong
Since it’s too late to call an expert, I’ll ask my 5 year-old nephew if he thinks that a pipeline full of oil is a good idea in an earthquake zone. … He says “It’s slippery.” I’ll choose to take that in whichever way supports my point.
The Mayor is right. We cannot trust Chevron. And Chevron owns this pipeline. If we cannot trust this pipeline, the pipeline needs to remain empty. But the mayor is going to need the people of Salt Lake and he is going to need them. Because the feds are going to cave in to Chevron. The multinational mega-conglomerate knows what it is doing.
There must be a way for the city to stop Chevron from switching that rickety old serpent back on. I’m saying we can back the Mayor up and find a way. All legal means of keeping this thing shut down should be explored.
There WILL be resistance, and it must include not only litigation, but action from the same citizens that are threatened by another spill.
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