Atlas of Maine

Article Title

A Geospatial Analysis of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline on Water Resources and Conserved Lands in Maine

Authors

Victoria Abel, Colby College
Lucy O'Keeffe, Colby CollegeFollow

Abstract or Description

As Tar Sands Oil production increases in Alberta, Canada, oil companies are exploring options to use a pre-existing pipeline known as the Portland-Montreal Pipeline to transport tar sands oil to Casco Bay, ME. In addition to the environmental and human health costs associated with the tar sands extraction process itself, there are potential risks associated with crude oil pipelines. We used Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze the pipeline’s proximity to critical watersheds and conserved lands in Maine. The results of our study revealed that the pipeline overlaps critical watersheds and conserved lands, reaffirming the importance of taking a precautionary approach towards evaluating future pipeline proposals.

Rights

In Copyright

Recommended Citation

Abel, Victoria and O'Keeffe, Lucy "A Geospatial Analysis of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline on Water Resources and Conserved Lands in Maine," Atlas of Maine: Vol. 2013: No. 2, Article 11.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/atlas_docs/vol2013/iss2/11