St. Louis Gateway Arch Showing Rust and Decay

Almost 45 years into its reign atop the St. Louis skyline, the 630-foot monument is suffering from growing rust and decay. And nobody knows how extensive. Corrosion, some of it feared aggressive, and severe discoloration of the stainless steel skin have long been present, according to engineering reports reviewed by the Post-Dispatch. ... The problems are increasingly evident, with streaks and spots marking the upper reaches of the Arch exterior.

From stltoday.com via LinkedIn.

For more about the Gateway Arch, see here and here.

Plains All American Pipeline to Pay $44.25M for Oil Spills

Cleanup in Homochitto National Forest in Mississippi;
photo courtesy of the US EPA.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Justice Department announced that Plains All American Pipeline and several of its operating subsidiaries have agreed to spend approximately $41 million to upgrade 10,420 miles of crude oil pipeline operated in the United States. The settlement resolves Plains’ Clean Water Act violations for 10 crude oil spills in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas, and requires the company to pay a $3.25 million civil penalty

Approximately 6,510 barrels (273,420 gallons) of crude oil were discharged from various pipelines and one tank owned and operated by Plains into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Most of the spills were caused by corrosion on the pipelines.

The $3,250,000 civil penalty will be paid to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

From the EPA website.

PRCI Selects Cliff Johnson as Next President

The Board of Directors of Pipeline Research Council International, Inc., (PRCI), has selected Clifford M. Johnson to be its next president. Cliff Johnson comes to PRCI from NACE International, where he has held a variety of positions during his 13-year career. His most recent position was as NACE’s Director of Public Affairs where he led several of NACE’s legislative initiatives. Mr. Johnson will succeed George W. Tenley, Jr., who is retiring at the end of the year.

The Corrosion Blog offers its most sincere congratulations to Cliff!

From the PRCI Newsroom.