Western Canadian pipeline leaks 200,000 liters of oil

Authorities have confirmed that more than 200,000 liters (52,834 gallons) of oil has leaked from a pipeline in Western Canada, affecting an aboriginal community in the area.

Environmental groups are criticizing officials as it took them three days to confirm the breach, which took place in Stoughton in Saskatchewan province on January 20.

News of the spill came as US President Donald Trump approved the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, the latter of which will run through western Canada.

Though the energy firms involved are not the same, the spill is likely to be used by activists opposing the pipelines as a reminder of the environmental hazards involved.

Doug McKnight, assistant deputy minister in the Ministry of the Economy in Canada, said it was not immediately clear how the leak occurred or which company that owned the underground pipeline was responsible.

He said there are a number of pipes in the area, and they won’t know certainly which pipe caused the leak until they can excavate it.

Tundra Energy Marketing Inc., which has a line adjacent to the spill, is leading clean-up efforts.

“The cleanup is paid for by the [polluting] company,” McKnight added. “Obviously, if it turns out not to be their [Tundra’s] pipe, there will have to be some agreements in terms of some cost-sharing.”

The spill took place on the Ocean Man First Nation reserve, inhabited by the Assiniboine and Anishinabe tribes.

Greenpeace has blasted the Saskatchewan government for the apparent secrecy around the leak.

Keith Stewart, head of Greenpeace Canada’s climate and energy campaign, said: “First the government waits three days to announce it, then the company will neither confirm nor deny that it’s their oil.

“More worrisome, however, is that once again pipeline spill detection technology and systems failed, leaving it up to community members to smell and see the oil before action is taken.”

Despite the spill, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall welcomed Trump’s announcement on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, saying it was a “a win for both our countries’ energy industries, for energy consumers and for energy security”.