Editor,
I was pleased to read Mr. Williamson’s letter [ESI June 14] “Rigors facing pipelines” regarding “Diamond is not a pipeline.” My title was to suggest Diamond is a public threat.
My sources are APSC docket 16-038-U and Diamond’s behavior over three years. Diamond is a Plains All-American project. PAA has a record of preventable and predictable spills and does not pay for damages.
PAA runs pipelines with corroded pipes to avoid shutting down the lines. When a line is down, cash flow stops. The Texas PAA Control Center attempts to detect leaks on one billion barrels per year and fails. Besides, leak detection does not prevent spills.
PIFES is my acronym for Plains Illegal Fracking Export Snake. Diamond has permits to drill under five river crossings, but no permits to transport bulk toxic hazardous materials interstate.
Welspun runs Arkansas pipe mills 24/7 with temp workers: the score is one fatality and several missing limbs, all without compensation. Welspun uses Indian carbon steel rolls to make cheap longitudinal welded pipes.
Diamond’s 5 permanent jobs for Arkansans are insufficient for a 24/7 operation. Texas crews and Global Security are building the line.
The line ends in Memphis, where the crude goes after, nobody knows.
Dr. Luis Contreras