ND opponents of Keystone route point to Minn. pipeline explosion

Opponents of a proposed oil pipeline route in eastern North Dakota say this week's pipeline explosion in Minnesota reinforces their fears.

The explosion that killed two people near Clearbrook, Minn., "confirms my concerns are very real and threatening to my home and family," said Paul Mathews, whose house is 516 feet from where TransCanada Corp. plans to bury a 30-inch pipeline. The pipeline would carry an estimated 590,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma.

Construction could begin in May if the North Dakota Public Service Commission approves a route permit.

In North Dakota, the pipeline would run from near Walhalla to near Cogswell.

The Minnesota case involves a different company, Enbridge, but landowners in eastern North Dakota say it still shows the dangers.

Keystone project spokesman Jeff Rauh said the Minnesota explosion is a tragedy for the families of the two men killed.

"It's a shame it happens anytime," he said. "We look forward to building Keystone and it operates safely and operates well."

Mathews said he asked TransCanada to move its pipeline route at least 1,000 feet away from his house, but he said the company refused to negotiate.

John and Janie Clapp of Lankin believe that if the Keystone pipeline cannot be stopped, its route should be moved to the Interstate 29 right of way.

"My first thought went out to the families (of the Clearbrook workers killed)," Janie Clapp said Thursday. "You try to convince them there's no risk in a pipeline."

TransCanada has "been trying to convince us there is not any risk. This (the Minnesota incident) just proves there is risk," she said.

"It's important not to react with a knee-jerk reaction," North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer said. "It's no more likely to keep people from building pipelines than the I-35W bridge collapse (in Minneapolis) keeps people from building bridges."

Commissioner Tony Clark said the Clearbrook explosion reinforces the importance of the process of choosing a route. He said pipelines still are the safest transportation method for gas and oil.

Cramer said the explosion highlights the PSC's role in ordering a pipeline route that avoids homes and other buildings where people could be hurt by an accident.

"The fundamental thing we can draw from it is accidents can and do happen," he said.

-The Associated Press