Pipeline opponents warn of disruption of farms and ranches during construction , and point to damage to water mains and sewage lines sustained during construction of an Enbridge crude oil pipeline in Michigan . A report by the Cornell University Global Labor Institute noted of the 2010 Enbridge Tar Oil Spill along the Kalamazoo River in Michigan : " The experience of Kalamazoo residents and businesses provides an insight into some of the ways a community can be affected by a tar sands pipeline spill . Pipeline spills are not just an environmental concern . Pipeline spills can also result in significant economic and employment costs , although the systematic tracking of the social , health , and economic impacts of pipeline spills is not required by law . Leaks and spills from Keystone XL and other tar sands and conventional crude pipelines could put existing jobs at risk . . " A '' USA Today '' editorial pointed out that the 2013 Lac-Mégantic derailment in Quebec , in which crude oil carried by rail cars exploded and killed 47 people , highlights the safety of pipelines compared to truck or rail transport . The oil in the Lac-Mégantic rail cars came from the Bakken Formation in North Dakota , an area that would be served by the Keystone expansion . Increased oil production in North Dakota has exceeded pipeline capacity since 2010 , leading to increasing volumes of crude oil being shipped by truck or rail to refineries . Canadian journalist Diana Furchtgott-Roth commented : " If this oil shipment had been carried through pipelines , instead of rail , families in Lac-Mégantic would not be grieving for lost loved ones today , and oil would not be polluting Lac Mégantic and the Chaudière River . " A '' Wall Street Journal '' article in March 2014 points out that the main reason oil producers from the North Dakota Bakken Shale region are using rail and trucks to transport oil is economics not pipeline capacity . The Bakken oil is of a higher quality than the Canadian sand oil and can be sold to east coast refinery at a premium that they would not get sending it to Gulf refineries . The article goes on to state that there is little support remaining among these producers for the Keystone XL
2010 Enbridge Tar Oil Spill
Kalamazoo River oil spill
Keystone Pipeline