The pipeline runs from Husky’s heavy oil operations to its facilities in Lloydminster and carries oil mixed with a lighter hydrocarbon, called a diluent, that’s added to ease the flow.
Advertisement
Another leak occurred at Suncor Energy’s base oil sands mining plane in northern Alberta.
Immediate recovery actions by Husky involved building a berm on land to capture as much oil as possible before it reached the water. The following day they reported 145 cubic metres of an oily water mix was collected.
Work to clean-up the shoreline and the river continues. Maidstone is about 84 kilometers west of North Battleford. The city also has a groundwater supply, but Ferris said the amount of water that can be treated from it is limited, particularly during the summer when demand is high.
Ferris, meanwhile, said the turbidity of the water due to the rain would complicate the process of treating water to remove oil, if it comes to that.
“Some businesses that use a lot of water, such as vehicle washes, laundromats – they will be shut down”, Toye said, adding that anyone violating the rules could face a $1,000 fine.
The state of emergency allows the city to evacuate neighborhoods.
Once Prince Albert’s stored water is exhausted, it hopes to use rainfall collected in a retention pond, buying itself four more days, Toye said.
Construction on a long water pipe that can draw water from the South Saskatchewan River should be completed on Wednesday, Toye said.
A precautionary drinking water advisory was in effect for Melfort and about a dozen nearby communities. It reverted to its old surface reservoir, not used since 1993.
Environment and Climate Change Canada workers are helping monitor the situation, and have determined that oil has sunk below the water’s surface, according to spokesperson Lo Cheng. The area of the leak must first be dug up and the company does not yet even know the exact location of the leak.
“We take full responsibility for what’s happened and we want to make it right”, he said.
Husky officials have been working to clean up the site and remove contaminated soil since the spill. Fingas said of the spill: “It probably poses very little threat to aquatic life”.
Advertisement
Pate noted Husky would be covering the costs regarding this spill, and said a toll-free phone line was set up at 844-461-7991. So far some wildlife has died as a result, including birds, fish, and a frog.
