An oil spill into a major Canadian river from a Husky Energy Inc pipeline started last Wednesday evening and crews did not arrive on site until the following morning, the company said on Tuesday.
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The heavy oil and diluent leaked from Husky’s Saskatchewan Gathering System pipeline on Thursday, flowing into the North Saskatchewan River, which supplies drinking water to several communities in the western Canadian province.
And yet, according to Al Pate, who’s heading up Husky’s response to the spill, the pipeline wasn’t shut off until Thursday morning around 10 a.m.
The company remains confident in its estimate that 200,000 to 250,000 litres spilled, he said. All comments are subject to editorial review.
Officials with the Water Security Agency say they plan to close the water intake at Codette and switch to an alternative source of water not affected by the oil spill.
The provincial government in early July warned flows from the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers from Alberta were at record lows for this time of year because of low runoff from the neighboring province.
About 70,000 litres of an oil-soil mixture have been cleaned up around the source of the leak and another 118,000 litres of oily water has been skimmed from the river. The expense will run into millions of dollars and the city is “very disappointed” by minimal interaction and help from Husky, Toye stated.
When asked about the spill last Friday, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Wes Kotyk praised Husky for how cooperative it had been.
Calgary-based Husky, which is controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing, has apologized. Chief Bobby Cameron said the Sweetgrass First Nation, Battleford Tribal Council and the Prince Albert Grand Council were preparing for the oil slick as it approached their communities.
The cities of North Battleford and Prince Albert, further upstream, have already closed their river water intakes and taken measures to conserve water. After that it would depend on water from a 12-inch (30 centimeter) size tube to the South Saskatchewan River, running along a highway.
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Prince Albert city council held a special meeting Monday and declared a local state of emergency, meaning city officials can issue $1,400 fines to businesses and residents using potable water unnecessarily.
