It’s easy to have a frank discussion about pipeline safety in Alberta — but an open one, not so.
The Redford government is so far preventing that from happening.
Imagine a line running from the Alberta’s 49th parallel southern border to it’s northern 60th parallel border, a distance of about 1,200 km. Then imagine it running that distance 330 times.
That’s how much pipeline there is in Alberta, moving crude oil and raw gas, and all the other poisonous, dangerous and explosive substances related to our oilpatch and gasfields.
It brings this province envious wealth, but with it must come responsibility that these substances are stored and transported safely.
Like other parts of Alberta, Central Alberta has had direct experience with the damage a broken pipeline can cause, most recently just a year ago.
Elsewhere in Alberta, there have been two major spills related to pipelines this month alone.
One on the weekend saw 950 barrels of condensate pour onto the ground in northwestern Alberta. The company involved, Plains Midstream Canada, said the spill may have been caused by construction equipment, but details have not been released.
A few weeks before this spill, 9.5 million litres of industrial waste water flowed from an Apache Canada pipeline into a wetland near Zama City, a small remote Northern Alberta community. Cause of the leak is unknown.
Last June, 475,000 litres barrels of light crude flowed into the Red Deer River upstream near Sundre. This pipeline, owned by Plains Midstream, was built 46 years ago.
To resolve the problem, the pipeline will run even deeper under the riverbed.
Plains Midstream was recently charged under the province’s Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act after a pipeline spill of 4.5 million litres in 2011, northeast of Peace River.
There are more spills by other pipeline companies as well. I’ve just mentioned a few of them.
Meanwhile, an independent review of pipeline safety in Alberta remains unavailable to the public, including to anyone who has ever been affected by a spill.
Also meanwhile, Premier Alison Redford is busy promoting potential new pipelines that could run from Alberta to the West or East Coasts. Yes we want Alberta’s oil and gas to sell, and at the highest price, but we also want it to get from A to B without any death and destruction along the way.
Last July, the Redford government commissioned the pipeline safety review. The results are in but they aren’t being made public.
The review was ordered after the U.S. National; Transportation and Safety Board, Canada’s auditor general and Saskatchewan’s auditor general all raised concern about Canadian pipeline safety.
As well, over 50 organizations across Alberta called for the pipeline safety review last year.
There is serious concern here. In 2010, there were more than 600 spills and leaks from energy-related pipelines in Alberta.
The safety review report was finished seven months ago, in December, by G10 Engineering and a related Energy and Resources Conservation Board report was finished in March.
So where are these reports? Why haven’t we been able to see them?
Energy Minister Ken Hughes said the review is technical, and “we’ll release it in the fullness of time.”
The public is very interested and, of course, very concerned.
Time’s a wasting. Oil is spilling.
New and better regulations can’t come soon enough.
Mary-Ann Barr is the Advocate’s assistant city editor. She can be reached by phone at 403-314-4332 or by email at barr@www.reddeeradvocate.com.