[no-to-illegals]

speaking in terms of tar sands, and imho tar sands (raw tar sands), should not be transported via a pipeline. There are refinement methods to eliminate some of the erosion which occurs during pipeline transfers, and not having researched this particular (pipeline break) am typing without full knowledge regarding this incident. Other transfer methods are available if a product is deemed too erosive for pipeline transfer. Train, and truck. I appreciate your coming back with additional information I did not have.

[gleeaikin]

Apparently, some refining is being done in Canada, and it is already being transported by truck and train. However, the oil people want to transport more, faster. The initial extraction apparently leaves a peanut butter consistency mass with high sulfur (acid), other toxins, much quartz sand, etc. It is then mixed with other chemicals to allow it to be pushed through the pipeline under high pressure. It is highly corrosive and abrasive, far more so than other forms of raw crude, and has a much higher pipeline break rate. Having broken, especially into waterways, it is many times more expensive to clean up. This is the problem with the Kalamazoo River break. It will be used for the export market from Houston, not our US consumption. Let them build it to the Pacific if they are selling it to China.