Bobert, you are right that the spillage rate is far too great. There is no need for any well designed pipeline to leak and, except for terrorist attacks and plane crashes I don't think that any leak is acceptable.

But still, of the worst ten spills ever, only only is from a pipeline and that was a poorly maintained line in a third world country. Even with current spillage rates a pipeline is safer than a tanker.

If a pipeline is designed and built to American Standards there is absolutely no reason for it to leak.

One of the reasons for poor quality manufacturing is the use of non union labor. When I was a Boilermaker, welders had to have a five year apprenticeship and needed to pass a rigorous test before they could work on high pressure pipes and vessels. Employers try to cut costs by using cheaper labor and materials. The current trend of union bashing has reduced manufacturing quality throughout the country to the level of that in third world countries.

We have the choice as a country to either improve manufacturing quality or to change American Standards to reflect current manufacturing techniques.

American Standards were developed when America had good quality workmanship available, this is no longer true now that manufacturers are using the cheapest labor that they can find.