Pros and cons of the Bayou Bridge pipeline
Published by Stephanie Roker,
Editor
World Pipelines,
The US$670 million Bayou Bridge pipeline project has received both support and opposition. The 162 mile pipeline will transport crude oil from the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana to Gulf South refineries, crossing 11 parishes on its route. It’s said to bring economic benefit to the state, but also potentially cause damage to the environment. Read on to see the public’s pros and the cons of the project.
Pros
The pipeline project is expected to create approximately 2500 construction jobs, and produce US$17.6 million in sales taxes during construction and US$1.8 million in property taxes in its first year being operational.
Professor David Dismukes, CES Executive Director, discussed the project: “[It] will help expand Louisiana’s energy economy by creating jobs and leveraging existing in-state energy infrastructure such as refineries, processing and storage assets. When completed, the pipeline will further diversify Louisiana’s crude oil supplies and provide new growth in both the immediate and long terms.”
Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, also declared his support for the project on 15 January. He believes the pipeline is the safest and most economical way of transporting crude oil to refineries across the Gulf South.
He commented: "There is no way to move crude in significant quantities that doesn't have some risk associated with it. But ultimately the pipeline is much safer than moving it on trains or on trucks."
Similarly, Vice President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, Gifford Briggs, stated that the pipeline is “the safest and most economical way to transport crude […] People should be celebrating this project."
Cons
On the other hand, protestors are claiming that the project will damage the environment. Anne Rolfes, Founding Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, noted: "We need to get out of the fossil fuel business. We need to stop building pipelines. It's causing catastrophic problems to our environment."
Louisiana crawfishermen also oppose the project as it will further damage the fishing and hunting grounds, which is their primary source of income.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/21022017/pros-and-cons-of-the-bayou-bridge-pipeline/
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