Ray's Thought for the Day - I 26, '05

The Longhorn pipeline runs through these parts just a little ways south of the Cow Barn through residential areas and over the Edwards Aguifer. Lomo has calculated that if it blows up, it won't also blow up the Cow Barn. We're out of range. Which is good because the Longhorn Pipeline is an old Exxon oil pipeline that, in its Longhorn iteration, now carries jet fuel, diesel and gasoline.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) of sorts was done on the pipeline prior to its re-iteration and this EA was approved with mitigation requirements. One of these mitigation requirements was that the pipeline was to be inspected for internal defects within three months after its return to operation. Its been 6 months now and, guess what, no inspection. Instead the rich and powerful responsible parties have requested of the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) that an internal inspection of the pipeline be delayed indefintely. OPS, of course, is expected to bend over, pendecho.

So......we need to write letters or send e-mails to OPS. To find out how to do this go to www.austinaction.org.