It was article of faith among green groups that opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline was going to save Mother Gaia from the threat of oil spills along the route, particularly in the sensitive Sand Hills area of Nebraska. In their one dimensional thinking, all that oil from Alberta's tar sands was just going to remain in the ground. As usual, their thinking was seriously flawed, as supply is meeting demand despite their best efforts. Instead of finding its way to market via a pipeline, where spills are very rare. Oil from the tar sands is making its way via rail cars, where spills are statistically far more common. The San Jose Mercury-News informs its readers: Phillips 66 in Rodeo already brings in trains filled with tar sands crude, and Chevron Richmond refines it. Shell in Martinez receives processed tar sands oil in the form of synthetic crude. Tesoro Golden Eagle in Avon, near Martinez, wants to bring in the heavy crude -- which is refined from an unconventional petroleum...(Read Full Post)