Oklahoma Congressman: ExxonMobil ‘Should Be Patted On The Back’ For Arkansas Oil Spill

Via Think Progress

ExxonMobil’s recent oil spill dumped some 200,000 gallons into Mayflower, Arkansas, killed wildlife, and caused 22 homes to be evacuated. As the Natural Resources committee takes up another bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) argued at a hearing that the spill is more evidence the Keystone XL pipeline is a safe bet for Americans.

Comparing the safety of a pipeline to other transportation methods, Mullin said there is no reason to make a “big deal” about the spill:

“Would we really rather ship oil across the oceans? You’re talking about a catastrophe, we’re buying the oil. The percentages of barrels that are shipped daily from rail, from road, and from water the accidents versus the pipeline accidents, it’s a fraction. Your group is making a big deal about this ExxonMobil spill? I think Exxon should be patted on the back for the way they handled this. Yes this was horrible, yes we don’t like to see it, but they handled it. They did a great job handling it. I think they showed an example of what could be done when a catastrophe happens.

http://youtu.be/iVK1TX12VBI

In fact, Exxon has been heavily criticized for its public dismissal of the harm and scope of the spill. And thanks to a technicality, the company can avoid paying taxes toward the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund — an exemption that applies to most tar sands crude.

Mullin also claimed the pipeline would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, which he linked to acts like the Boston Marathon bombing. “I mean, would we rather buy oil from the Middle East that sponsors the acts that we see like at the Marathon that we just saw yesterday?” he said. “I don’t know if that was actually sponsored by them or not but that’s the acts that they support.” Setting aside his sheer speculation over the cause of the tragedy at Boston, Mullin’s claims about reducing foreign oil dependence just don’t add up. Keystone XL guarantees more oil is shipped overseas, not less: The pipeline moves Canadian oil across the U.S. straight to the Gulf of Mexico, where it is refined and then exported. A Department of Energy analysis noted that Keystone XL will have virtually no impact on Middle East imports.

For the record, oil and gas companies rank among the freshman congressman’s largest donors.

Open Secrets - Markwayne Mullin Top Contributors

Industry	Total	Indivs	PACs
Leadership PACs	$104,750	$0	$104,750
Oil & Gas	$78,750	$33,750	$45,000
Special Trade Contractors	$66,976	$63,976	$3,000
Retired	$58,908	$58,908	$0
Commercial Banks	$53,650	$38,650	$15,000
General Contractors	$47,700	$36,700	$11,000
Insurance	$29,900	$22,400	$7,500
Real Estate	$29,150	$29,150	$0
Livestock	$28,500	$26,500	$2,000
Automotive	$24,000	$14,000	$10,000
Casinos/Gambling	$23,300	$23,300	$0
Trucking	$23,000	$22,000	$1,000
Misc Manufacturing & Distributing	$21,750	$21,750	$0
Candidate Committees	$21,000	$0	$21,000
Building Materials & Equipment	$20,050	$20,050	$0
Health Professionals	$19,050	$19,050	$0
Mining	$18,000	$9,500	$8,500
Misc Business	$15,842	$15,842	$0
Food Processing & Sales	$15,500	$12,500	$3,000
Misc Finance	$15,050	$15,050	$0

Thank You Exxon: Mayflower, Arkansas' New Oil Lake

ExxonMobil spills chemicals in Louisiana while cleaning spilled oil in Arkansas

Arkansas Oil Spill - Exxon Technically Exempt From Cleanup Charges

Exxon Reacts To Tax 'Loophole,' Pledges ‘To Cover All Costs’

The central Arkansas spill caused by Exxon’s aging Pegasus pipeline has reportedly unleashed 10,000 barrels of Canadian heavy crude - but a technicality says it's not oil, letting the energy giant off the hook from paying into a national cleanup fund.

Legally speaking, diluted bitumen like the heavy crude that's overrun Mayflower, Arkansas, is not classified as 'oil'. And it's that very distinction that exempts Exxon from contributing to the government's oil spillage cleanup fund.

ExxonMobil has already confirmed that the compromised pipeline was transporting “low-quality Wabasca Heavy crude” from Canada’s Alberta region. That particular form of crude contains large quantities of bitumen - a "thick, sticky, black semi-solid form of petroleum which is transported in a diluted form (dilbit) as it makes its way from Canada to US refineries," explains Oil Change International, which has brought attention on the strange legal exemption.

Companies that transport oil are required to pay $.08 per barrel into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. The cash is used by the US government to respond to oil spills. But there's a catch - Exxon is exempt from paying into the fund, because its pipelines aren't considered to be carrying "conventional oil."

"Exxon, like all companies shipping toxic tar sands, doesn’t have to pay into the fund that will cover most of the clean up costs for the pipeline’s inevitable spills,” Oil Change International claimed on Tuesday.

Exxon's Response

Answering RT’s detailed questions, ExxonMobil stated they are paying for all costs related to the spill. However, the company didn’t reveal how much it contributes to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, or the value of the company’s crude which is not taxed by the law.

Exxon media relations manager Alan Jeffers told RT that teams are working directly with residents of Mayflower and are “paying all valid claims relating to the spill and providing interim housing for people from the homes which the city of Mayflower recommended be evacuated following Friday's spill.”

Full Article at RT