Shadick said treating the birds that have been recovered, and the possibility of many more birds needing treatment, filled her with “great sadness”.
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By far the largest community affected so far is the city of Prince Albert, which has a population of about 35,000 people.
Jeff Da Silva, manager of public works with the city, said consultants have been hired to test the water in the river and the water coming out of the water treatment plant to see if any hydrocarbons are present. The community can rely on groundwater for the next few days until the immediate risk has passed, the statement said.
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. Trucks are now carting the oil that would have been carried by the pipeline, he said. Such leaks have been used by opponents of proposed new pipelines such as Keystone XL to hinder approvals.
Melfort will be the next area to take precautions with its drinking water.
“The facts remain that if we’re not moving by a pipeline, it’s going to move …” Canada’s federal environment department is examining the event, said spokeswoman Lo Cheng.
The site of last Thursday’s leak is within 1,000 feet of the North Saskatchewan River.
The pipe transports heavy oil and diluent and is part of Husky’s Saskatchewan gathering system, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Lloydminster, Mel Duvall, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail.
He says there will be an investigation into why it took so long, but the focus now is on cleanup. He said the leak was first detected by a pressure monitoring system.
Who pays for oil spill?
Husky Energy Chief Operating Officer Rob Peabody told reporters on Friday that the spill was not under the river, and some of the spill is already being cleaned from the land.
“We realize this has been a very challenging time for everybody, with the spill impacting people, the environment and local businesses”, said Al Pate, the company vice-president overseeing the response.
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Shaw says that those in emergency management positions like his are keeping a close eye on what is happening in Saskatchewan so they can learn. “We’re always looking to test and make sure we are up to par”.
