Protesters chain themselves to Trans-Northern pipeline in Oka
Drinking water at risk, they say
Three women who chained themselves to part of a pipeline on Friday got a boost from government officials in Oka and Deux-Montagnes, echoing their concerns about the Trans-Northern pipeline in Oka.
The women got inside a fenced area in Oka National Park and chained themselves to an access valve attached to the TransNorthern pipeline, which has been in place since the 1950s.
They say the pipeline is at risk of a spill — a threat to the pristine nature park and to the drinking water for millions.
Jeanne Beauchamp, one of the three women, is concerned because Trans-Northern Pipeline Company Inc., which operates the line, has ignored safety orders issued by the National Energy Board, the federal body that regulates pipelines.
In September, the NEB announced it had issued a safety order calling on the company to reduce the pressure in its pipe.
“TNPI has not satisfied all conditions set out in those Safety Orders and has had 11 overpressure incidents since 2010,” the NEB said in a statement. “While at no point did these incidents lead to public or environmental risks, their recurrence demonstrates to the NEB that TNPI has not yet effectively resolved its overpressure hazard.”
The women are calling on TNPI
We’re not equipped to deal with a spill of petroleum products in the water here in Quebec. We think this pipeline should be shut down.
to shut down the pipeline, saying it puts at risk 3 million people in the Montreal region who get their drinking water from the Ottawa River, which the pipeline crosses.
“We’re not equipped to deal with a spill of petroleum products in the water here in Quebec,” Beauchamp said. “We think this pipeline should be shut down.”
On Friday, the mayor of Oka and the council of the Deux-Montagnes region issued a joint statement outlining concern over the safety of the pipeline. “Despite repeated incidents and several cases of nonconformity to the safety measures outlined by the NEB, TNPI still has not conformed to norms, rendering its installations safe,” Oka Mayor Pascal Quevillon said in a statement. “We are asking the NEB to act swiftly to assure the safety of people and the environment.”
Beauchamp said the women have learned how little TNPI pays attention to the safety of its pipeline.
“We called the company around 6:45 a.m., using the emergency number on the valve, and they told us we had the wrong number, that we should stop calling because we were harassing them, and that we should call the administrative offices when they open at 9 a.m.,” she said. “What we can conclude is that their emergency response is basically non-existent.”
The women were inspired by demonstrations this week that saw the shutdown of the AMT’s Candiac line for one day, and they are acting in solidarity with the protests in Standing Rock, North Dakota.
In response to the women’s protest, Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc. temporarily shut down the pipeline.
In a statement, it said: “The company is also in contact with the police who are at the site to help ensure the safety of the public, the environment and the pipeline. The pipeline will remain shut down until further notice.”