Cdn. Heritage Minister Doubts Enbridge’s Safety

B. McPherson

While Enbridge would like you to believe little damage was done at its oil leak in Grand Marsh, the evidence points to  far greater environmental damage. Light, toxic oil, kills.

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore speaking on a Vancouver Talk Show(CKNW), expressed his doubts about the sincerity of Enbridge’s commitment to safety. While the company was trying to “sell” the idea of the twinned Northern Gateway Pipeline to the public, they stated that they had learned much from the past and were committed to all the best safety measures. As opposition to the proposed Oil Sands pipeline mounted and finally the British Columbia Primier Christie Clark joined the majority, Enbridge has made an announcement that they would spend a further $500 million to beef up safety. This left even a federal minister wondering about why the commitment wasn’t made in the first place.

“This project will not survive scrutiny unless Enbridge takes far more seriously their obligation to engage the public,” he said.

Asked outright if he has “real serious doubts” about Enbridge, Mr. Moore replied, “Sure.” Globe andMail

Enbridge’s proposal has come under increasing scrutiny since the US report on the disastrous oil leak in the Kalamazoo River which saw 40 miles of the river and adjoining wetlands fouled. The report referred to their safety response as a “Keystone cops” response which allowed more than a million gallons of crude oil into the water and soil.

Last week a leak in an Enbridge pipeline in Wisconsin(Grand Marsh) allowed about 1200(50 400 gal.) barrels of the toxic substance to cover a farmhouse, its ponds and crops. Initially Enbridge spokepeople said that little damage was done and only a couple of farm ponds were covered. Now the story is that they aren’t sure about the effect on the ground water for the area.

The Us Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has shut the pipeline down until an acceptable safety plan is in place. The US Transporation Secretary Ray La Hood called the leak “unacceptable”.
While spokesperson for Enbridge on this incident, Jennifer Smith, stated that these leaks are “truly rare” the evidence compiled by Watershed Sentinel over the past 12 years shows a different picture. According to their figures Enbridge pipelines have spilled 132 715 barrels of oil.


If you build it, it will leak.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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