Pipeline Explodes in Rural Oklahoma Underscoring the Dangers of Fossil Fuel Pipelines

A pipeline in rural Oklahoma (Harper County) ruptured at 11 p.m. on Tuesday October 8, causing an explosion with flames that went hundreds of yards in the air. The flames from the blast were visible up to 70 miles away. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated and there are no known reports of deaths or injuries.

Highway 283, which extends across the county and north from there to Dodge City was temporarily closed south of the Kansas-Oklahoma line. Several families had to be evacuated from the area as Northern Natural Gas rushed to the scene to cut off the gas flow. These families have since been allowed to return to their homes following the extinction of the fire. The environmental impacts are not known at this time and there is still no estimate as to when repairs to the pipeline will be completed.

Although this incident was not as destructive as it could have been if it had occurred in a more populated area, it nonetheless underscores the dangers associated with fossil fuel pipelines. Ruptures and explosions are yet another reason why many are concerned about the dangers associated with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.



© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Articles
The Dangers of Transporting Fossil Fuels
MMA's Bankruptcy Protection is Unconscionable
Train Carrying Oil Levels the Town of Lac Megantic
Video - Train Carrying Oil Derails Illustrating the Dangers of Transporting Fossil Fuels
Video - Truck Carrying Oil Crashes and Explodes Illustrating the Dangers of Transporting Fossil Fuels
Another Blowout on a Drilling Platform in the Gulf of Mexico
Unstoppable Oil Leak at a Tar Sands Production Site in Alberta
Infographic: 13 Oil Spills in 30 Days
Three of the Most Destructive Tanker Oil Spills in History
Top 25 Oil Spills Over 1000 Tonnes in the Last Decade
Pipelines and Oil Spills in Alberta Canada
Another Leaking Pipeline in Montana
Managing the Massive Gulf Oil Spill
Oil Spills Add to Concerns about the Keystone XL Pipeline
EPA Slams State Department on its Keystone XL Report
Oil Spills off the Coast of New Zealand
South Dakota Wants Additional Protections Against Spills
Responsibility for the Costs of the Gulf Oil Spill
Offshore Oil is an Avoidable Tragedy
Shell Oil Rig Runs Aground in Alaska Raising Safety Concerns
Lawsuit Protecting the Arctic from Oil Spills
BP Accused of Corporate Recklessness Including Willful Misconduct
Shell Temporarily Pauses its Arctic Drilling
Another Offshore Oil Leak
Two More Reasons to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels
The Costs of Offshore Drilling

SHARE

Melili

• 
• 
• 
• 
•