The Latest Breaking News from PHMSA

Experts say it will be harder to clean up than past leaks

The cause for the spill is still unclear. What's known is the type of oil that was piped: tar sands oil, also called diluted bitumen. It's a lot harder to clean up than conventional oil.

A special exemption from 2017 allowed the Keystone Pipeline to operate at pressures above the standard for crude oil transport, a report from the federal government shows. The exemption is receiving new scrutiny following last week’s oil spill in northern Kansas, the largest in the pipeline’s history.

The agency tasked with the safety of more pipelines lacks an official leader as it faces growing pressure to write new regulations.

Companies want to build pipelines to capture and store carbon, but a report warns that regulators aren’t prepared