...and it will get worse...

this was the opposite side of the province...north west, the tar sands are in the north east. This was a natural gas pipeline - like the thousands of miles of pipelines that already criss cross the US and Canada. This shows that no new pipelines should be built - be it natural gas or bitumen - until there are strict regulations regarding pipeline maintenance - real regulations with teeth and strict enforcement. It also demonstrates the danger that is lurking everywhere currently - there are pipelines in populated areas - had this happened there it would've been a catastrophe. Pipelines need tons of maintenance and companies are dropping the ball on pipelines that already exist - what makes us think they will do better with the newer pipelines?

Of course the real solution would be to stop using fossil fuels...but that won't happen until we have no other choice because...well, that's humans for you.

That is an inescapable fact the industry's apologists desperately try to cover up. If the Keystone is built, sooner or later it will break as well. That will be a disaster for anyone who lives anywhere near the break.

Regulated properly and with those regulations enforced strictly enough, you could virtually guarantee safety until the end of time. Will we regulate them properly or bother to enforce what little regulation we pass? Fuck no.

What you suggest is like asking the Koch brothers to give a damn about the people they're poisoning. In fact, it's exactly like that.

There's a big problem with lack of qualified people running those pipelines. If you can read and write and show up on time, you got a job. My ex did a lot of pipeline maintenance in that area - lots of companies skimp on inspections, maintenance etc. He often had a hard time convincing the people who ran the pipelines that they needed basic things like corrosion inhibitor, because that shit costs money. This is the problem with pipelines - in theory, they can be very safe. Realistically, with companies always trying to make that extra 0.000000001% profit margin you will have assholes cutting things like pipeline safety and maintenance.

"that shit costs money".

And no one in the upper echelons wants to spend money on some gauddammmm safety or maintenance item.

hell,it could screw up their bonus or sumpin.