Major Pipeline Spill “Another Warning” Say Environmentalists

Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline likely to bring 14 Spills a Year

Media Release by Dogwood Initiative:

Victoria, BC — A major oil pipeline spill has joined a recent spate of shipping accidents as “yet another warning about the consequences of shipping oil to and from BC’s coast,” says a BC based watchdog group.

On January 10th an estimated 3000 barrels (47,700 litres) spilled from a ruptured Enbridge pipeline in North Dakota that links Canada’s oil sands to refineries in the United States.

“Such spills are not uncommon. Enbridge spills an average of 7350 barrels of oil a year – that’s enough to fill 20,000 bathtubs.”, said Will Horter, Executive Director of Dogwood Initiative.

Dogwood Initiative is among a broad coalition of environmental, First Nations and grass roots organizations campaigning to against Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker port. The $4.5 billion proposal would ship up to 525,000 barrels of oil-sands crude to Asia via a new pipeline and tanker port on BC’s coast.

“We calculate that based on Enbridges record we can expect to see an average of 14 spills along the Northern Gateway twin pipeline each year, any one of which could destroy a salmon stream. And we haven’t even begun to talk about the threat of a catastrophic tanker accident,” said Horter.

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Contact:

Will Horter

Executive Director

Dogwood Initiative

email: Will [at] dogwoodinitiative.org