Louisiana Governor: Pipelines Safest Way to Transport Oil

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards reaffirmed his support Wednesday for the Bayou Bridge Pipeline and the coastal refineries the soon-to-be-completed pipeline will support.

“What I will reaffirm is my commitment to make sure that all of the refineries situated in south Louisiana, along the river will continue to be able to get their supply of oil,” Edwards said during his monthly call-in radio show.

“There is no safer way to do it than a properly constructed, properly maintained pipeline. You can’t do it by truck, you can’t do it by rail as safely. That’s my commitment, but we are going to do it in a way that meets all of the requirements imposed by law and that is as safe as it can possibly be.”

Edwards comments came in response to a question from Dean Wilson, executive director of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, regarding alleged violations incurred by the pipeline’s developer. In response, the governor emphasized that concerns of this nature should be included in ongoing litigation.

To date, legal challenges to the project have largely been hollowed out in court proceedings where activists have been forced to admit inconvenient facts. Last fall, a Louisiana district court judge chided pipeline foes, writing in a ruling that the court would not accept “the self-serving unscientifically corroborated testimony” provided by an environmental activist.

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