Enbridge pipeline

[twobits]

Within a few years, the forest will begin to grow back along the pipeline route. No pipeline company will even consider keeping the entire line brush-free. Only around junctions and pumping stations will there be any ground access. Helicopters will work fine.... as long as they can find a place to land. And if a spill happens in an inaccessible area? Well, standard operating procedure is to fix the leak and say nothing. The oil will wash away in a few years.

This is a perfect example of people spewing false information pulled out of thin air and presented as fact. Unfortunately there are people out their that will take that crap as truth and perpetuate it at the local coffee shop. The actual truth is that all right of ways, regardless of commodity, are continually kept clear of regen.......every foot of them. Even our local papers have tenders advertised periodically for right of way slashings and it is an industry that provides millions in payroll annually in BC alone. Keeping these right of ways clear and accessable is a legal requirement. Further to this, along with electronic monitoring, an actual human being has to walk every foot of a pipeline right of way once a year to look for any indications of even a pin hole leak. Even a ten foot square patch of dead grass or brush that cannot be explained for any other reason is marked for investigation and sampling. In addition to the visual, the surveyor carries with him an air sampling device that continually draws in air through a wand held a few inches above the ground and will alarm with the detection of even a few parts per million of hydro carbons. Excavation to the pipe often occurs just to be certain. 99.9% of these incidents find nothing wrong. In addition to the human foot patrol, helicopter surveys are done several times a year to look for ground movement, erosion, fallen trees or access washouts.
As to fixing and saying nothing.......more crappola. Every spill more than a few litres that is not a part of a maintenance procedure must be reported to the Ministry of Transport, who oversee pipelines, and the Ministry of Environment. The consequences of not doing so are extemely punative and not worth the risk.
There is the truth Bob. Don't believe everything you hear at the coffee shop.

[danmartin]

[color=#FFBF40]This is a perfect example of people spewing false information pulled out of thin air and presented as fact. Unfortunately there are people out their that will take that crap as truth and perpetuate it at the local coffee shop. The actual truth is that all right of ways, regardless of commodity, are continually kept clear of regen.......every foot of them. Even our local papers have tenders advertised periodically for right of way slashings and it is an industry that provides millions in payroll annually in BC alone. Keeping these right of ways clear and accessable is a legal requirement. Further to this, along with electronic monitoring, an actual human being has to walk every foot of a pipeline right of way once a year to look for any indications of even a pin hole leak. Even a ten foot square patch of dead grass or brush that cannot be explained for any other reason is marked for investigation and sampling. In addition to the visual, the surveyor carries with him an air sampling device that continually draws in air through a wand held a few inches above the ground and will alarm with the detection of even a few parts per million of hydro carbons. Excavation to the pipe often occurs just to be certain. 99.9% of these incidents find nothing wrong. In addition to the human foot patrol, helicopter surveys are done several times a year to look for ground movement, erosion, fallen trees or access washouts.
As to fixing and saying nothing.......more crappola. Every spill more than a few litres that is not a part of a maintenance procedure must be reported to the Ministry of Transport, who oversee pipelines, and the Ministry of Environment. The consequences of not doing so are extemely punative and not worth the risk
There is the truth Bob. Don't believe everything you hear at the coffee shop.[/quote]


I just read this and and my first thoughts are that you are trying to convince us that an incredible job is done to ensure enviromental safety and it is gauranteed that there is next to no chance of a spill and that it could be quickly cleaned up if by rare chance one was to happen!!! However at this early hour I have vivid images of horrible damage done to the waterways and the wildlife in the area of several pipeline leaks in Canada and the USA just in the last year? Once the pipeline is in then the shipping through our coastal waters is also a major concern, maybe even more of a concern!

----As far as reporting spills and leaks ...lol. I have been told by people working in the north in industry and the oil patch that so much is covered up that my head would spin. Giving the chance and if a dollar can be saved nothing is reported.

[twobits]

----As far as reporting spills and leaks ...lol. I have been told by people working in the north in industry and the oil patch that so much is covered up that my head would spin. Giving the chance and if a dollar can be saved nothing is reported.

And you can back up this heresay how? Did "your sources" tell you anything else you can actually verify? Shall we refer to them as deep throat?

[danmartin]

And you can back up this heresay how? Did "your sources" tell you anything else you can actually verify? Shall we refer to them as deep throat?[/quote]

-Too funny that you would use "deep throat " as a possible name for my sources? He did actually report criminal acts that was denied for years by many including the President of the USA!!!!

I personally have seen the damage done by irresponsible dumping and have refused to participate in it. A brother who still lives in the north has told me many things that he has seen in out of the way areas that are "out of sight' of concerned eyes.

[twobits]

I personally have seen the damage done by irresponsible dumbing and have refused to participate in it. A brother who still lives in the north has told me many things that he has seen in out of the way areas that are "out of sight' of concerned eyes.

Then you and your "brother" are either lying or irresponsible citizens for not reporting these alleged activities. And if you are so opposed to this pipeline, which certainly appears to be the case, why in hades are you not blowing the whistle? It would only help defeat it. Answer......you are just blowing smoke and you know of no unreported pipeline leaks.

[maple leaf]

The Track record of Enbridge and oil spills.



January 2001: Enbridge’s Energy Transportation North Pipeline leaked 23,900 barrels of crude oil into a slough near Hardisty, Alberta. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada noted that the site of the leak on the aging pipeline had been identified a “high priority location” just four months earlier.

July 2002: A 34-inch diameter steel pipeline ruptured in a marsh west of Cohasset, Minnesota. To prevent 6,000 barrels (252,000 gallons) of crude oil from reaching the Mississippi River, the company set the oil on fire. The plume of smoke extended one mile high. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board blamed the rupture on “inadequate loading of the pipe for transportation.”

January 2003: A pipeline failure resulted in a spill of 4,500 barrels of oil at Enbridge’s oil terminal near Superior, Wisconsin. Approximately 500 barrels flowed into the Nemadji River, a tributary of Lake Superior.

April 2003: A gas explosion leveled an Etobicoke strip mall and killed seven people. It stands as the largest number of fatalities ever recorded in a pipeline incident in Canada. Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority charged Enbridge with failure to provide accurate information and to ensure their contractors followed the law. The case is still in court.

April/May 2004: U.S. pipeline regulators fined Enbridge for failing to properly inspect oil and gas pipelines in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

January 2007: A pipeline break near Stanley, North Dakota spilled 9,030 gallons of oil. Regulators fined Enbridge for exceeding pressure standards for the pipeline.

February 2007: An estimated 176,000 gallons spilled in two separate incidents in Clark and Rusk County, Wisconsin. One pipeline cracked open and couldn’t be shut off until an operator in Canada shut down the line. In the second incident work crews broke the same line, filling a hole 20 feet deep with oil and contaminating local groundwater. The company was fined $100,000 for not following safety standards.

November 2007: A 34-inch pipeline carrying bitumen to U.S. Midwest markets exploded, killing two workers near Clearbrook, Minnesota. The pipe had leaked two weeks prior to the explosion and was being repaired. The fireball, which leapt 100 feet into the air, temporarily jacked up the price of oil by four dollars and closed four other pipelines delivering 1.5 million barrels of crude a day. The Pipeline and

Hazardous Materials Safety Administration fined the company $2 million for exceeding pressure in its pipeline and for failing to follow safety procedures.

May 2008: Alberta’s energy regulator delivered a “high risk enforcement action” against Enbridge for using “valves, flanges and fittings” on its Midstream pipeline that were not suitable for maximum operating pressure. No fines were levied.

January 2009: Enbridge agreed to pay a fine of $1 million to the government of Wisconsin after it committed more than 500 violations of the state’s wetland and waterway protection regulations while constructing the $2 billion Southern Access pipeline to export 400,000 barrels of bitumen from Alberta to Chicago. Attorney General J. B Van Hollen said “the incidents of violation were numerous and widespread and resulted in impacts to the streams and wetlands throughout the various watersheds.” Enbridge blamed the problems on “bad” weather.

January 2009: A valve blew on a pipe at the Enbridge Cheecham Terminal tank farm, spilling 4,000 barrels of oil near Anzac, Alberta. The leak wasn’t detected for three hours and Alberta regulators issued no statements, because no member of the public was affected. Greenpeace initially reported the spill.

January 2010: A pipeline built in 1956 leaked 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons) near Neche, North Dakoka. The PHMSA warned Enbridge twice that older pipelines were susceptible to failure. The line is part of the 1,900-mile-long Lakehead System that delivers crude from western Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma and Chicago.

Enbridge does not have the worst record in the oil patch. That distinction belongs to BP, polluter of the Gulf of Mexico. The PHMSA has cited the company 58 times for shoddy performance.

(Thanks to The Tyee)

[Sources: U.S. National Safety Transportation Board; Transportation and Safety Board of Canada; U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; Milwaukee Sentinel Journal; Ontario's Technical Standards and Safety Authority; Enbridge Corporate Social Responsibility Reports; Polaris Institute]

What did we learn from the Enbridge spill on the Kalamazoo River?

If you really want to know what will happen in the event of an oil spill in British Columbia, we had better take a close look at both the effects of the oils spill, and the cleanup done by Enbridge.

Spill from Hell: Diluted Bitumen

Submerged oil cleanup finished in Kalamazoo River for the year (due to winter)

If they cannot cleanup the Kalamzoo during the winter then we all know that everything that can flush will end up in Prince Rupert or the Douglas Channel, or the mouth of the Fraser River, right in the heart of downtown Vancouver.


And here are some examples of how Enbridge cleans up a spill;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gXaYZVGw44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlnri_scklA

[danmartin]

Then you and your "brother" are either lying or irresponsible citizens for not reporting these alleged activities. And if you are so opposed to this pipeline, which certainly appears to be the case, why in hades are you not blowing the whistle? It would only help defeat it. Answer......you are just blowing smoke and you know of no unreported pipeline leaks.[/quote]

Hey Twobits,
Perhaps you should learn to read before you start mouthing off! I never once said my brother or I saw a pipeline leak but that we that we have both witnessed dumping of oil and other contaminants into the environment. It happens here in the south and even more so in the north when people think they can save a dollar and not get caught. How do you know it wasn't reported?

[twobits]

Hey Twobits,
Perhaps you should learn to read before you start mouthing off! I never once said my brother or I saw a pipeline leak but that we that we have both witnessed dumping of oil and other contaminants into the enviroment. It happens here in the south and even more so in the north when people think they can save a dollar and not get caught. How do you know it wasn't reported?

If you read your own post you will see " I personally have seen the damage done by irresponsible dumbing and have refused to participate in it". While I am one of the worst spellers around, the topic is pipelines, right of ways, clearing and access, so I had no idea you were referring to the illegal activity of dumping oil which is totally unrelated to pipeline leaks and not disclosing them should they happen.

[Ken7]

twobits


As to fixing and saying nothing.......more crappola. Every spill more than a few litres that is not a part of a maintenance procedure must be reported to the Ministry of Transport, who oversee pipelines, and the Ministry of Environment. The consequences of not doing so are extemely punative and not worth the risk.
There is the truth Bob. Don't believe everything you hear at the coffee shop.

I've got to question you as to the information you have posted, where did you get this?

A friend on mine used to be a spotter in a plane, which flew a pipeline in Saskatchewan. I do not recall how often it was done.

If what you are stating is the regulations, I question your source if you could present a link. Many times regulations or laws are there, to cover someone’s butt.

However, who polices these regulations?
How does that group M/T or M/E even know these lines were walked or flown for that matter?

The pipeline could be in the middle of no-where; do you think a leak would be fixed, the surface scraped and no comment made on a small spill?

Do you believe every spill is reported and Ministry of Environment is contacted? Sure the Regulation state they all must, are they?

A example I think of is the tailing ponds in Ft.Mac. I know personally one of the persons responsible for the build of them. He and I discussed it, he assured me how well made and clean they are several years ago. The whole process at Ft.Mac is environmentally sound and clean I was told.

I say it is the Tar sands of Canada to be honest.

Today there is evidence that there is ground waters and lakes being contaminated, therefore I question the regulations and where you have found this information.

[danmartin]

If you read your own post you will see " I personally have seen the damage done by irresponsible dumping and have refused to participate in it". While I am one of the worst spellers around, the topic is pipelines, right of ways, clearing and access, so I had no idea you were referring to the illegal activity of dumping oil which is totally unrelated to pipeline leaks and not disclosing them should they happen.

You are right that this is about the proposed pipeline but the main concern of most is the enviromental damage that could be done if it is built. I brought up dumping etc. to point out that even with regulations, laws and fines, that not everyone is concerned about our enviroment and that pollution does still happen all the time. Also even in a perfect world accidents do happen as well. The cleanup could be a huge problem as has been pointed out. Is bringing up the shipping through our coastal waters off limit as well? I see it as part of this discussion.

[asas]

As to cleanup.....
Having worked in the oil sand projects for the past few years, I will guarantee that at least Stat Oil and Cenovus take cleaning up of any spills very seriously. They have constant monitor patrols to all rigs and will fine you if ANY spills, however small, are located.
Example:
1) While changing motor oil on a rig motor, a 5 gallon pail containing waste oil was partially spilled while being poured into oil recycling tank - Reported and investigation completed. Ice, snow and dirt removed and cleaned.
2) Crane truck grenaded motor on small hill in very, very remote area. Within the hour multiple pieces of earth moving equipment was on site. The site was completely excavated, and fresh road material was built into the road. The original snow, ice and dirt was taken to a waste soil processing site for decontamination.
3) Loader fell onto its side during equipment move. Full response team arrived even though NO SPILL occurred.
So I have to say that at least someone is trying.
Another question does arise however as I read threads like this. Beyond the expert opinions of those who have never been to the "patch", how is society to continue asking the governments to provide services that make their life so pampered if we do not raise monies thru taxation of resources? How would YOU get the oil to market? Do you complain about the price of fuel you buy at the gas station? Do you enjoy the possibility of having fuel shortages based on other counties not liking us or our neighbours?
Our resources are enormous and must be safely harvested for our markets and those of the modern world. Companies have abused our enviroment in the past and a few still do. They must be monitored and taken to task without mercy.
Several new technologies have recently come on line to enure pipeline integrity - FLIR for example. The public is aware and watching, so let us work together to make the progress we all want.
No matter who your political favorites are, nothing is FREE and we all have to EARN our way thru life!
Whew!
Time for more coffee that is from a FAIR company that does not hire homeless children in bare feet while fighting snakes .....

[twobits]

As to cleanup.....
Having worked in the oil sand projects for the past few years, I will guarantee that at least Stat Oil and Cenovus take cleaning up of any spills very seriously. They have constant monitor patrols to all rigs and will fine you if ANY spills, however small, are located.
Example:
1) While changing motor oil on a rig motor, a 5 gallon pail containing waste oil was partially spilled while being poured into oil recycling tank - Reported and investigation completed. Ice, snow and dirt removed and cleaned.
2) Crane truck grenaded motor on small hill in very, very remote area. Within the hour multiple pieces of earth moving equipment was on site. The site was completely excavated, and fresh road material was built into the road. The original snow, ice and dirt was taken to a waste soil processing site for decontamination.
3) Loader fell onto its side during equipment move. Full response team arrived even though NO SPILL occurred.
So I have to say that at least someone is trying.
Another question does arise however as I read threads like this. Beyond the expert opinions of those who have never been to the "patch", how is society to continue asking the governments to provide services that make their life so pampered if we do not raise monies thru taxation of resources? How would YOU get the oil to market? Do you complain about the price of fuel you buy at the gas station? Do you enjoy the possibility of having fuel shortages based on other counties not liking us or our neighbours?
Our resources are enormous and must be safely harvested for our markets and those of the modern world. Companies have abused our enviroment in the past and a few still do. They must be monitored and taken to task without mercy.
Several new technologies have recently come on line to enure pipeline integrity - FLIR for example. The public is aware and watching, so let us work together to make the progress we all want.
No matter who your political favorites are, nothing is FREE and we all have to EARN our way thru life!
Whew!
Time for more coffee that is from a FAIR company that does not hire homeless children in bare feet while fighting snakes .....

Good post. Having had some experience in the industry myself in the past, I know what you have explained about spill cleanup to be absolutely true.....and universal accross all operators. In fact, I found that responses were sometimes so over the top that it bordered on the insane. Two full truckloads of soil removed within one hr after a gerry can of diesel tipped over and lost about 6 litres. How many of these armchair experts know that heavy equipment working a water crossing have to use a special vegetable based hydraulic fluid just in case the hydraulics might leak? To them it is some kind of free for all out in the bush where no one can see them. The realities are quite different and these operators are serious about it being done right and will even report other operators if violations are seen. Sure, there will always be a few shoddy operators(contractors) but they never last because the companies know all eyes are on them ready to pounce and denounce.
You can also bet all the naysayers *bleep* at the gas pumps...we all do right? How many times have you been filling up and heard someone say I wouldn't mind the price doubling if it meant stopping the oil sands developments? Or how about wishing their shampoo still came in glass bottles?

[SurplusElect]

Beyond the expert opinions of those who have never been to the "patch", how is society to continue asking the governments to provide services that make their life so pampered if we do not raise monies thru taxation of resources?

So over there in Alberta your government must be flush with cash.

Oh that's right, your province cant even pay it's bills.

So is Allison Redford and Stephen Harper going to "raise taxes on oil companies" to provide services? Aside from the taxdollars we already shovel over to them to "give them a hand".

Infact, big huge corporations (by Alberta standards) shouldn't even be paying taxes because of the jobs they provide.

I guess that means your oil patch job just got less lucrative, because guess who's making up the difference?

[sixxonesixx]

I'm surprised at the ignorance of the hoards. I've worked in this industry for over 30 years. Bottom line would be a no. I moved from Alberta because of the destruction this industry has caused to that province. Polluted water tables, lakes, rivers and so on. Many just sit back and read what they have to know. So much goes on behind the scenes. Everyone thinks they are so knowledgeable on this subject. How many have actually been to the tar sand projects, drilling leases, production facilities etc? Just what I thought. There's even been a documentary made about a man called Wiebo Ludwig. Between the water and the H2S, this entire family has been devastated by the "OIL". The "OIL" does a very good job in cover up and pay up. Now it's a matter of $$$$$$$$$$$-here boy, here boy. B.C. thinks they can be just like Alberta with the economy. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, our premiere doesn't have enough backbone to stand up to the "OIL". They will do what they want. This pipeline will come regardless of what B.C. wants. There's talk of all the jobs.... What happens when the pipeline is built? Oh ya, when the spills happen, there is more job creation. As much as I hate to say, there is a lot of drilling activity in northern regions that could be opened up even more. The B.C. government makes it so difficult with the strictest guidelines to make only some projects worthwhile. The costs are enormous to refit drilling rigs (that are certified for the rest of Canada) to B.C. standards. There could be almost as much activity and job creation as Alberta without the pipeline. But where do you draw the line? In the end the "OIL" still wags the mighty $$$$ and B.C. thinks they are the smarterhttp://forums.castanet.net/image ... feeyy8.gif We could even bring more immigrants to fill all these positions, then when there are no more jobs, those who are still working can subsidize their UI and WELFARE. So many issues... so much ignorance.

[sixxonesixx]

As far as clean ups go... I have personally seen (recently) pics of 1-2 M3 spills of a liquid called invert of which was never reported. "ASAS"- have you ever seen a pink lease? That's what happens when thousands of litres of diesel fuel spilled because...no one was watching. Whoever says the spills are always reported. Wasn't there hundreds of water fowl that Syncrude killed in a holding pond? Wasn't there almost a half million fish killed in another spill. There are many leaks that are not even detected until significant damage has occurred. So ASAS... glass houses do crack.