Why pipelines are our safest means of petroleum transportation.

I agree with Notley's assessment 100% that pipelines are our safest choice. 

Gasoline in your tank has an additive FISK or chromium that allows static electricity to bleed off to the side of your tank harmlessly. With the additional safeguards at the pumps (baffles and shrouds around the nozzle do very well if used properly at controlling the vapor area. Rich vapors are okay but the lean ones especially at our low temperature tend to go bang in the dark.

Pipelines have anticipated this and bleed off the static charge that is built up from movement of the petroleum through the lines. We have spills, not explosions!

If you must worry; worry about how fast we can get the crude off the rail cars which are deadly unsafe because of their vulnerability when they tip over and spill. The crude oil has no such additives in them and will continue to build and build a static charge in the tanks. When they go over they light up or not. But, its not from good management. It is the state of the air space at the spill point. If it is a rich vapour area we get a free ride. If it is a lean vapor area (as in a breeze or a wind) we may not be so lucky.

We should all be supporting pipelines for our crude. Think of this when another village or town is devastated.