Nexen pipeline spill likely not the last, First Nations group warns

Oil spill from Nexen Energy pipeline in northern Alberta tar sands, July 16, 2015.

Alberta oil pipeline cleanup covers area of 2 CFL football fields

CBC News, July 18, 2015

In the wake of a massive pipeline leak in northern Alberta, a First Nations group in the area is worried more spills will happen unless environmental standards are tightened.

“If we continue to accept that these types of incidents are the status quo of development we are also accepting the illegal abrogation of the rights and title of First Nations,” Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation said Saturday.

Nexen Energy said the warning system for a pipeline installed last year failed to detect a break that leaked five million litres of bitumen, sand and water at its Long Lake oilsands facility near Fort McMurray this week.

The Calgary-based company issued a public apology on Friday, adding that the spill has been contained and is being cleaned up.

The spill was discovered Wednesday afternoon.

Oil spilled by Nexen Energy pipeline, July 16, 2015.

“We are deeply concerned with this,” said Ron Bailey, Nexen’s senior vice-president of Canadian operations. “We sincerely apologize for the impact this had caused.”

The material leaked through what Bailey says was a “visible burst” in the pipeline, a double-walled, high-pressure line installed in 2014. Bailey said the line was shut down immediately after the leak was discovered.

The detection system did not work in this case, so it isn’t known how long the substance was leaking. A contractor walking along the pipeline discovered the spill.

“This is a modern pipeline,” Bailey said. “We have pipeline integrity equipment, some very good equipment,” he said. “Our investigation is looking through exactly why that wasn’t alerting us earlier.”

The spill covers an area of about 16,000 square metres, the size of approximately two CFL football fields. Bailey said it is mostly contained within the pipeline’s immediate area.

The area can only be reached by a winter access road, so the company had to build a road into the site. Bailey said vacuuming of the oil started Friday. The site is contained by berms and other abatement equipment.

Bailey declined to name the company that manufactured the pipeline.

Despite the scope of the incident, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said pipelines are still the best way to transport oil and gas.

“For instance, in Quebec, they know full well that rail is much more problematic a transportation method,” Notley told CBC’s Edmonton AM on Friday.

“Even within this unfortunate accident, which I’m troubled by.”

Notley is attending the Council of the Federation meeting in St. John’s, where premiers agreed to a national energy strategy.

She said her government is getting regular updates about the spill.

“We’ll be doing an investigation into what went wrong and what happened with respect to how long the leak was in place and whether everything was done to catch it as soon as it could be, as well as to prevent it at the outset,” she said.

‘Extremely serious’ impact on muskeg

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can say except that we are going to learn from this.”

A spokesman for the ACFN said a spill this big will have an “extremely serious” impact on the muskeg, which is a source of aboriginal medicines, berries and wild game.

Oil spreading through muskeg from Nexen Energy pipeline spill, July 16, 2015.

“There is no way to clean or reclaim the muskeg,” said Eriel Deranger in a news release Friday. “Destruction and contamination like this that directly affects a key component of our ecosystems is affecting First Nations’ ability to access lands and territories for hunting, fishing, gathering and trapping rights, rights protected by both the Constitution and our treaties.”

Adam said the spill is “dangerously close” to the Clearwater River, which flows directly into the Athabasca River.

“The repercussions from the incident could potentially be felt far and wide by those that rely on the Athabasca basin,” he said.

He said both pipeline companies and government need to commit to better environmental stands, and also called for a better consultation process for projects that could impact aboriginal groups.

“I think it’s time for the government and industry to come to terms with the fact that the rights and title of First Nation people are interdependent with flourishing, clean and healthy eco-systems,” he said.

Saturday, the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association said it has seen no impact on air quality in the wake of the spill.

In April 2011, a Plains Midstream Canada ULC pipeline leaked 4.5 million litres of crude oil near a First Nations community in northwest Alberta.

That leak was the largest in the province in 35 years. It contaminated more than three hectares of beaver ponds and muskeg in a densely forested area.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nexen-pipeline-spill-likely-not-the-last-first-nations-group-warns-1.3158739