Enbridge Points Out Difference Between a Leak and a Valve Failure

B. McPherson


It's not if a tanker spill will occur, but when.
Late Sunday night workers testing a valve at an Enbridge pipeline reported a failure of the valve. The important pipeline which moves oil to Sarnia Ontario failed. There were unconfirmed reports that oil leaked and water escaped from the pipeline, but Enbridge officials were quick to point out that the problem was a valve failure, not a leak. In any case, if oil fouls the inside the fenced off area and does not foul the area beyond, the oil transport company is not obligated to report it as a leak.

Enbridge has been under increasing pressure from residents of British Columbia who oppose the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline through the wilderness area of the Great Bear Rainforest. Indigenous people have spoken against it, environmentalists and people who work on the coastal waters have all expressed dismay at the thought of punching an oil pipeline through the pristine wilderness.

Since the damning report about Enbridge’s behavior during the massive oil spill into the Kalamazoo River was made public, opposition has jelled even more. The Liberal Premier, friend of big business, Christie Clark, is now trying to find a place to stand on the issue. Formerly her government tacitly supported the pipeline by not objecting to it while the NDP opposition party has been vociferous in its opposition. The NDP are expected by many to form the next provincial government.

To counter some of the public’s objections to the pipeline proposal, Enbridge has announced an additional $500 million upgrade to the proposed pipeline, doubling its thickness where it crosses rivers. There was no announcement about how they plan to counter the earthquakes and landslides in the seismically active area.

In addition to worries about the environmental impact on the land if the pipeline is built is the probability of a catastrophic oil spill from the tanker traffic loading up at the port of Kitimat. The BC coast is known for its treacherous weather and reefs. The Exxon Valdes spill more than 20 years ago still affects Prince William Sound. Oil lurks below the rocks and pebbles leaching into the water. A BC government ferry sunk off the coast a few years ago and still burbs oil into the water at Hartley Bay. Both of these disasters were a result of human error.

The executive director of BC Coastal First Nations expressed the thoughts of many coastal residents very well.
“These tankers are still going to be going through the fourth most dangerous body of water in the world, and they still have the potential to wipe out everything on the cost of British Columbia with absolutely no benefits going to anybody in B.C.," Art Sterritt said. CBC News


Location: Unnamed Rd, Kitimat-Stikine C (Part 2), BC V8G, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding
Read more

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not free
Read more

Efficient Rail Transport May Make Pipelines Obsolete

Image
B. McPherson What happens to all the abandoned pipelines? Oil pipelines have huge direct costs to build, but they also have many hidden costs. In spite of dire warnings by environmentalist the world is demanding ever greater supplies of the black gold. For those countries that have it and market it successfully, money comes rolling in. But at what cost? An oil pipeline is a hugely complex thing. Enbridge Corp. has been battling citizens in British Columbia over its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline in the US has been stalled for months. When Big Oil needs to transport oil or bitumen to refineries, it usually gets a smooth ride to approval. Labelling energy security as a national priority, property rights are infringed upon. People in Canada cannot legally stop the installation of a pipeline across their property. The high pressure conduit is often buried only a few feet below the surface leaving crops, buildings and livestock vulnerable to a
Read more