On Thursday, November 16, the energy company TransCanada reported that 210,000 gallons of oil leaked from the Keystone Pipeline. The leak occurred 3 miles southeast of Amherst, a small town in South Dakota.

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The pipe was shut down around six a.m. after a drop in pressure was detected. The leak was controlled within minutes and no immediate threats to public safety were observed. The cause of the leak is currently unknown.

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This is the largest Keystone spill to date in South Dakota, with one occurring in April resulting in 16,800 gallons being released. The spill in April took about 2 months to clean up said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the state's Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

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It is reported that this cleanup will take weeks, and repairs will begin as soon as crews can safely access the pipeline. The pipeline is currently shutdown until these repairs can take place. This can’t come soon enough as oil prices have reached their two year high at $58.95 a barrel, up almost 2 percent.

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TransCanada is working with state and federal agencies, keeping them updated on a regular basis. The pipeline is located underground so groundwater contamination is a serious concern, however, there didn’t seem to be any initial effects on waterways or wildlife. Although the leak was underground, some of the oil has surfaced and a large, dark spot can be seen in pictures released by the company.

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"The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available," said TransCanada in a recent statement.

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So far, TransCanada has recovered 44,400 gallons of oil from the spill site, according to the Washington Examiner. Soil remediation is still ongoing, with a reported 170 individuals working at all hours, reported the Omaha World-Herald. The crew was served Thanksgiving meals during their 12-hour shifts

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“As a safety precaution, TransCanada sampled one residential water well yesterday at a location about 1.5 miles from the site to alleviate any concerns — all test results were normal,” TransCanada stated.

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This pipeline is one of Canada’s largest exporters of crude oil and travels 2,600 miles from Alberta, Canada to Texas.

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There have been arguments about the Keystone Pipeline for over a decade. Native American tribes have raised much controversy over this pipeline and ones like it. This spill seems to give voice to their concerns. Although the leak location is not on Sioux property, it is in the same county as part of the Lake Traverse reservation. Dave Flute, tribal chairman for Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe said the land the oil spilled on has significant historical value.

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This comes at a very interesting time for TransCanada, who is trying to implement the Keystone XL Pipeline, a sister pipeline proposed to run through Nebraska. This spill is likely to delay the Keystone XL and raise concerns for its safety. Environmental groups are citing this spill as yet another reason to not approve pipelines like this in the future.

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"A permit approval allowing Canadian oil company TransCanada to build Keystone XL is a thumbs-up to likely spills in the future," said Greenpeace representative Rachel Butler.

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Additionally, the Associated Press reported on a lawsuit that is challenging the cross-border permit for the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Trump administration and the TransCanada Corp. both attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Great Falls, Montana, dismissed these attempts.

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This spill is another addition to the ongoing conversation about the best way to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy. This also brings the potential jobs and energy independence discussions compared to the environmental cost up once again