Environmental groups are pointing to three major oil spills in Alberta in the last six weeks as proof that the government needs stricter regulations and oversights over the province’s aging pipeline infrastructure.
The latest spill occurred earlier this week in northeastern Alberta near the town of Elk Point, where Enbridge confirmed a spill of about 230,000 litres through its pumping station on the Athabasca pipeline.
The biggest incident was earlier this month near Red Deer and Sundre in central Alberta, where 475,000 litres of oil from Plains Midstream Canada leaked, some of it spilling into the Red Deer River.
In May, a Pace Energy Oil and Gas oil leak near Rainbow Lake in the northwest of the province spilled about 5,000 barrels.
“Keeping track of all of these is getting harder and harder,” said Don Bester, of the landowners’ lobby association Alberta Surface Rights Group, which has about 1,400 members. “It doesn’t matter what the number of litres are. It’s critical to get these pipelines out of the water system.”
Greenpeace spokesman Mike Hudema said three major oil spills in Alberta in six weeks is not a rare occurrence.
“We have over 300 spills a year and it’s due to the aging pipeline infrastructure. That’s why the government should appoint an independent body. There are obviously huge problems with oversight and we’re leaving too much to companies to regulate and enforce themselves,” he said Wednesday.
The provincial Conservative and federal Conservative governments have been pushing ahead for the need to begin work on the Northern Gateway Pipeline project by Enbridge, which will pipe Alberta oil from near Edmonton to Kitimat, a port on the B.C. northern coast, for shipment overseas.
Energy Minister Ken Hughes said Canadians should have confidence in the pipeline systems in Alberta and recognize that the Gateway pipeline will include the latest technology and upgrades.
Alberta has more pipelines — 400,000 kilometres — than anywhere else in the country and Hughes told the Toronto Star Wednesday that oil spills are unavoidable.
“Canadians want to drive their automobiles and they want their gasoline available at their corner gas store not far away from their homes and those products get there through our pipeline system,” he said. “The number of pipelines we have means incidents like this occur from time to time and they simply cannot be avoided in a province like Alberta.”
Plains Midstream spokeswoman Darlene Crowell said more than 270 response workers remain onsite and continue to do containment and clean-up. Of the three recent spills, the Plains Midstream spill is in the most populated area.
“We are collecting a lot of debris and we’re very pleased with the progress,” she said.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Petti Fong
The latest spill occurred earlier this week in northeastern Alberta near the town of Elk Point, where Enbridge confirmed a spill of about 230,000 litres through its pumping station on the Athabasca pipeline.
The biggest incident was earlier this month near Red Deer and Sundre in central Alberta, where 475,000 litres of oil from Plains Midstream Canada leaked, some of it spilling into the Red Deer River.
In May, a Pace Energy Oil and Gas oil leak near Rainbow Lake in the northwest of the province spilled about 5,000 barrels.
“Keeping track of all of these is getting harder and harder,” said Don Bester, of the landowners’ lobby association Alberta Surface Rights Group, which has about 1,400 members. “It doesn’t matter what the number of litres are. It’s critical to get these pipelines out of the water system.”
Greenpeace spokesman Mike Hudema said three major oil spills in Alberta in six weeks is not a rare occurrence.
“We have over 300 spills a year and it’s due to the aging pipeline infrastructure. That’s why the government should appoint an independent body. There are obviously huge problems with oversight and we’re leaving too much to companies to regulate and enforce themselves,” he said Wednesday.
The provincial Conservative and federal Conservative governments have been pushing ahead for the need to begin work on the Northern Gateway Pipeline project by Enbridge, which will pipe Alberta oil from near Edmonton to Kitimat, a port on the B.C. northern coast, for shipment overseas.
Energy Minister Ken Hughes said Canadians should have confidence in the pipeline systems in Alberta and recognize that the Gateway pipeline will include the latest technology and upgrades.
Alberta has more pipelines — 400,000 kilometres — than anywhere else in the country and Hughes told the Toronto Star Wednesday that oil spills are unavoidable.
“Canadians want to drive their automobiles and they want their gasoline available at their corner gas store not far away from their homes and those products get there through our pipeline system,” he said. “The number of pipelines we have means incidents like this occur from time to time and they simply cannot be avoided in a province like Alberta.”
Plains Midstream spokeswoman Darlene Crowell said more than 270 response workers remain onsite and continue to do containment and clean-up. Of the three recent spills, the Plains Midstream spill is in the most populated area.
“We are collecting a lot of debris and we’re very pleased with the progress,” she said.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Petti Fong
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