The U.S. Department of Transportation should not approve new pipelines carrying crude oil derived from oil sands until it revises its safety regulations to address the oil's corrosive nature, environmental groups said in a Feb. 16 report. Diluted bitumen, derived from oil sands, is a corrosive mixture of raw bitumen and liquid natural gas condensate, according to the report, Tar Sands Pipeline Risks, from the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Pipeline Safety Trust, and Sierra Club. The corrosive nature of the oil sands crude increases the risks of spills and leaks and existing pipeline safety regulations are insufficient to guarantee safe transport of the oil, according to the groups.
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