Crews scramble to contain half million litre fuel spill

Crews scrambled this weekend to contain and clean up a pipeline leak thought to have spilled up to 475,000 litres of crude oil flowing into a rain-swollen Red Deer River system in west-central Alberta. Plains Midstream Canada said the oil spilled into Jackson Creek near Sundre, about 100 kilometres from Red Deer. The creek flows into the Red Deer River.

When the spill was discovered, the company closed off its network of pipelines in the area. Premier Alison Redford headed to nearby Dixon Dam to hold a news conference, where she said the spill had been contained to the Gleniffer reservoir and crews were working to minimize the environmental impact. She said there will be an investigation but added that Alberta's pipeline system is supported by a strong regulatory framework that serves as a model for other jurisdictions. "It's my expectation that the minister of environment and the minister of energy, as well as the (Energy Resources Conservation Board), will have to review those investigations once they're completed to determine the cause of this incident, and then to take whatever steps might need to be taken in order to prevent this in the future. "It is unfortunate when these events happen. We are fortunate in this province that they don't happen very often, and we can have some confidence that when they do happen, we have plans in place to deal with them." Tracey McCrimmon, executive director of a community group that works with the industry, said people who live just north of Sundre phoned in reports Thursday night of smelling rotten eggs. "The first call that we got was at 8:40 p.m.," said McCrimmon, director of the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group. "We called all of the oil and gas operators within six kilometres of the area. They were able to source the odour within an hour." Heavy rains have swollen streams and rivers in the area and local officials are concerned the oil will spread more quickly down the system. "There's oil in the river and the river is moving very quickly right now because of the recent rains and meltwater," said Bruce Beattie, reeve of Mountain View County. "It's going to be a major environmental concern for sure." Marcy Bloss woke up Friday morning to an oily stench drifting in the window of her home about two kilometres from Gleniffer reservoir. "Once you got to the lake the smell was overpowering," Bloss said.

Alberta Environment spokeswoman Jessica Potter said people downstream of the spill have been told not to use river water until further notice. "Water intakes have been shut at all facilities downstream and we are encouraging people to shut-in their water and not draw from the river at this time." Sundre is upriver from the spill, but Red Deer is downstream.

The City of Red Deer has been told booms will be set up on the river near the Dickson dam and Gleniffer reservoir. "We are monitoring the situation at this time," said Leslie Chivers, a city spokesman. "If things change, then we'll advise residents of further actions that will be happening." Plains Midstream vice-president Stephen Bart said the company is doing everything possible to limit the environmental impacts. "We're committing the resources necessary to mount a full-scale response." Containment booms and skimmers have been set up at the reservoir to sop up the crude oil before it reaches the Dickson Dam and key waterways for municipalities upstream, the company said. The spill comes as Plains Midstream continues to clean up an April 29,

2011, pipeline spill of 4.5 million litres of oil northeast of Peace River.' That leak - one of the largest in Alberta history - happened in a remote area on the 772-kilometre, 44-year-old Rainbow line between Zama, Alta. And Edmonton. Energy critics and conservation groups say the spill near Sundre raises new questions about pipeline safety, monitoring and the enforcement of environmental regulations. "Albertans should be extremely concerned that these pipeline spills keep happening and (about) the weak detection systems in place," said Madeline Wilson of the Alberta Wilderness Association.

Alberta's Opposition Wildrose Party called the spill further evidence the government is failing to effectively enforce the energy industry. "Our regulations are no good unless we have the boots on the ground to enforce them," said Wildrose environment critic Joe Anglin. "There is no reason why these kinds of spills should be occurring in Alberta."