Skip to main content

Pipeline breach renews call for more monitoring

By WTOP Staff

JOSH WOOD
Associated Press

MANDAREE, N.D. (AP) — A saltwater spill from an underground pipeline in North Dakota has renewed calls from farmers and environmentalists to require new monitoring to help ensure that such breaches are prevented or caught quickly.

State Rep. Dick Anderson, a Republican farmer from Willow City, said he plans to revisit legislation the state Legislature rejected last year that would mandate flow meters and cutoff switches on such lines.

“This is a serious problem that has become almost a weekly occurrence and we’ve got to do something,” Anderson said.

The measure failed 86-4 after encountering resistance from oil companies that argued the additional monitoring would be too expensive. State regulators said such safeguards are ineffective on small holes because the leaks would not be strong enough to be detected.

Anderson agrees that monitoring alone might not prevent future spills, but he wants to use the technology in conjunction with more frequent checks by pipeline companies, spill-sniffing dogs and even aerial drones that can detect breaches.

“I think the answer is we’re going to have to use all these,” he said. “We’ve got to do something.”

The pipeline that separated, likely over the Fourth of July weekend, was not equipped with a system that sends an alert when there is a leak. The company said the spill was discovered when officials were going through production loss reports.

Wayde Schafer, a North Dakota spokesman for the Sierra Club, said the number of recent catastrophic spills is “bordering on negligence.”

He points to a trio of recent spills at saltwater disposal facilities have been destroyed by fires and explosions sparked by lightning strikes and a spill near a tributary of the Little Missouri River that was blamed on a cow that rubbed against a tank valve.

“These people have to tighten up their act,” Schafer said. “This is outrageous. The regulating agencies and industry need to take this more serious.”

The Environmental Protection Agency said it had no confirmed reports that the saltwater from the latest spill reached Bear Den Bay on Lake Sakakawea. The water body provides water for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation occupied by the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes in the heart of western North Dakota’s booming oil patch.

The EPA said most of the spill was pooled on the ground, soaked into the soil and held behind beaver dams. It said the leak involved an estimated 24,000 barrels, or 1 million gallons, of saltwater and condensate, byproducts of oil and gas production.

Cleanup was expected to last for weeks, according to Houston-based Crestwood Midstream Partners LP. The underground pipeline is owned by Crestwood subsidiary Arrow Pipeline LLC.

North Dakota, the nation’s No. 2 oil producer behind Texas, also produces millions of barrels of briny wastewater daily that can be 30 times saltier than sea water and must be sequestered underground forever.

There were 74 pipeline leaks in 2013 that spilled 22,000 barrels of saltwater, 17,000 barrels of which was from a single mishap in Bowman County, state records show.

North Dakota oil drillers produced a record 313.5 million barrels of crude in 2013 along with about 350 million barrels of contaminated water, state data show.

___

MacPherson reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote