The Devious Diamond Creek

You can step over a brook, jump over a creek, wade across a stream, and swim across a river.

“The Arkansas Flood of 1927 was the most destructive and costly flood in Arkansas history and one of the worst in the history of the nation. It afflicted Arkansas with a greater amount of devastation, both human and monetary, than the other affected states in the Mississippi River Valley…” Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

The Diamond Creek Great Flood

According to the Law of Unintended Consequences, if you are not careful bad things happen. Diamond chose a straight route to lower the cost. Clear cutting all the trees and vegetation and removing soil on a 440-miles long, 100-ft. wide, dry creek is a man-made disaster waiting for a flash flood. Few people remember the 1927 tragedy, but we remember the August 7, 2013 Butler Creek flood and terrible consequences.

A great flood can happen again. Plains All-America (PAA), aka Diamond, chose to cut corners, avoid an Environmental Impact Study, and buy cheap welded pipes. Diamond does not care. Here is why.

Unanswered Diamond Questions

There are many pregnant questions. State and federal agencies don’t know or don’t want to talk. What I found was startling.

1. Cushing, Okla., is the start of the line, where is the end?

The Diamond website says the end of the line is Memphis, Tenn.; it mentions the Valero Refinery, but it does not claim the shale-oil is for Valero. The oil will flow on the Marathon Oil CapLine, an old pipeline transporting crude from the Gulf to the Valero, Tenn., refinery. As if by magic, the CapLine flow will be reversed, and the shale oil will end up in the U.K. to be sold overseas.

2. What are the two permits awarded to Diamond for the line?

Diamond Pipeline LLC, aka DP Pipeline LLC, was granted a river crossing permit by the USACE, and a river navigation permit by APSC, the Arkansas Public-Utility Commission.

3. Is Diamond an Arkansas Public Utility?

Diamond is not an Arkansas Public Utility, neither are DP Pipeline or Plains All American. You may be asking, but how can Diamond be awarded a permit by APSC? The short answer is, “Only in Arkansas.”

4. Which agency is responsible for approval of the Diamond Pipeline?

None. Diamond has permits for five river crossings, about one percent of the pipeline. The rest of the 440-miles have not been approved.

5. How many engineers work for Diamond?

Diamond has a webmaster. Their website hides any links to PAA. Everyone works for PAA.

6. Who pays for damages during construction and operation?

Diamond does not like to pay for spills, they have lawyers. Mr. Henry, the APSC safety expert told the Honorable Judge Susan E. D’Auteuil the pipeline is safe. USACE, in exchange for a nationwide permit, got a big check from Diamond. Let’s say it is more than 100 Chevy Bolt EV plug-in electric cars. The 2017 Bolt all-electric car has a 238-mile range per charge.

7. When can Diamond start construction?

Diamond can start construction of the pipeline anytime they want! To stop it, have to move fast.

How do we stop Diamond?

Bruce Lee once said, “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” Stopping Diamond is different from rerouting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Diamond does not play nice. In 2013 their agents showed up in Arkansas and took private property by force without an approved route. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission paid to bring the Welspun Tubular to Little Rock to build pipes for Keystone XL.

We need a Stop Work Order and file an appeal to reverse the APSC or the USACE approvals. APSC is the weak link. Legal proceedings require funds and experienced lawyers. In 2015, the Arkansas U.S. Congressional Delegation took on the U.S. Department of Energy to stop the Plains and Eastern power line. The clock is running, let’s do it!