Wanting to regain the esteem they had lost earlier, the 798 union decided they would attempt the "granddaddy" job, ultimately finishing it. Eventually, the engineers devised a tower-and-cable process for moving the pipes into place before the welders decided it was too difficult to continue. ![]() Afterward, two of the most difficult pipeline sections were all that remained, most notably, the roller coaster terrain and the near-vertical 2,800-foot south face of Thompson Pass. Then, a new crisis hit when the media reported that faulty welds had been made along the pipeline, which led to more scandal when the quality control x-raying of the pipeline was found to have been faked. Weaver discusses how, despite all these problems, the pipeline was progressing well. Fleming details how theft was rampant around the pipeline, leading to talk of organized crime within his teamsters union. This led to a claustrophobic camp life, filled with repetitive routines, which led to mass consumption of alcohol and drugs. Clips show Frank Moolin Jr., the pipeline's senior project manager, detailing the difficulties in building the pipe during the harsh, if not impossible, winter. Hired for the all-important pipe welding job was the tight-knit welders' union 798 out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fleming details how a bribe "backdoored" him through the union, landing him a highly-sought-after job in the teamsters' warehouse. Meanwhile, others were struggling to get work on the pipeline due to stringent requirements accommodating specialty workers and natives of Alaska. Diane Benson, a truck driver, details being one of thousands of women to work on the pipeline, thanks to new affirmative action requirements. As in a gold rush, people eager to work on the pipeline infiltrated Fairbanks, turning it into a boomtown. Al Fleming, a pipeline teamster, details the huge paychecks workers received compared to their counterparts on other projects around the country. By March 1975, it was time to begin laying pipe, with the route having been divided into five segments, to be built simultaneously. Dave Smallwood, pipeline trucker, details the "insanity" of transporting pipeline at the time. The first job was to build a supply road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, as well as lodging for the construction workers. Bill Howitt, engineer, details how the pipeline needed to be constructed and completed within three years. In November 1973, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act easily passed in the House, putting an end to legal challenges. When the Yom Kippur War caused a shortage of Arab oil in the U.S., Americans had no recourse but to go ahead with the pipeline. When the Senate found itself deadlocked at forty-nine votes apiece, Vice President Spiro Agnew cast the deciding vote in favor of construction. Fed up with legal challenges from environmentalists, pipeline advocates such as Senator Ted Stevens - shown in a period clip - tried to get the pipeline quickly passed. Geological Survey, details how the Interior Department's geologists had serious issues with the feasibility of the pipeline's construction. ![]() Howard Weaver, former Anchorage Daily News reporter, details how Alaskans were tired of outsiders meddling in local business. Environmentalists offered legal challenge after legal challenge trying to keep pipeline construction in limbo. Also, the native Alaskans of Stevens Village, located in the path of the proposed pipeline, were alarmed upon hearing the news. Meanwhile, Stewart Brandborg, director of the Wilderness Society, began leading a fight against federal approval of the pipeline. Joe Pratt, historian, details the "hubris" needed for the oil companies to think they could execute this audacious task. ![]() Eventually, the oil companies settled on a giant, private pipe through the heart of Alaska, from the northern point of Prudhoe Bay to Valdez on the southern coast. Meanwhile, the oil companies were trying to figure out how to transport the recently discovered ten billion barrels of oil out of northern Alaska without the use of cars or ocean tankers. The program begins on the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, when demonstrators marched, calling for an end to pollution. This film examines the difficult construction of the 800 miles of steel pipe built through the Alaskan wilderness for the delivery of oil from the Arctic Ocean to the lower forty-eight states. Continue searching the Collection AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: THE ALASKA PIPELINE (TV) Summary
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |