SPILL FALLOUT
Husky amends report
It’s been more than a week since a Husky Energy pipeline burst and sent more than 200,000 litres of oil into the North Saskatchewan River near Maidstone. Here’s how industry, people and governments are responding. Companies in Saskatchewan that inadvertently release oil into the environment are required to submit incident reports to the Ministry of the Economy. Husky submitted a report to the province earlier this week saying a “pipeline release” was discovered on the south shore of the North Saskatchewan River around 8 p.m. on July 20.
The company, which did not shut the pipes down until July 21 at 10 a.m., was criticized for taking so long to react. Husky then indicated that what was detected July 20 were pressure anomalies, rather than an observed oil spill.
The company has now filed an amended incident report indicating that a pipeline leak was spotted on July 21 around 10 a.m.
PRINCE ALBERT STRUGGLES TO BUILD AMBITIOUS PIPELINE
Prince Albert usually gets its water from the North Saskatchewan River. City staff shut off the intake valve to the water treatment plant Monday and switched to emergency water reserves after an oil sheen was spotted near the city.
Civic officials hoped construction of a 30-kilometre pipe could bring clean water from the South Saskatchewan River, but that’s hit “a bit of a glitch,” said Sam Ferris, executive director of environmental and municipal management services for the Water Security Agency.
He said the “fairly substantial” pumps needed to transfer water through the overland pipe were “simply not available.” Instead, workers will need to rely on slightly smaller pumps.
Ferris said the city wanted to draw water from the South Saskatchewan River because administrators knew its quality was comparable to that of water drawn from the North Saskatchewan.
The City of Prince Albert still asserts the long pipeline will be operational by Friday, but additional crews are also building a six-kilometre line to bring clean water from Spruce River. That pipeline is expected to be filling the water reserves by Friday.
WATER ADVISORY LIFTED FOR MELFORT AND AREAS
A precautionary boil water advisory for the City of Melfort, Village of Beatty, Town of Kinistino, Village of Weldon and Town of Star City was lifted Thursday.
Melfort and surrounding areas, which normally get their water from a lake fed by the North Saskatchewan River, had its water intake shut off Tuesday morning and instead started getting water from a nearby dam site.
Because it wasn’t initially clear whether that water was being adequately disinfected, people were told to boil it before drinking.
Test results received Thursday morning indicated water from the dam site is safe to drink.
COMMUNITIES UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY
The City of Prince Albert, which is using water from a stormwater retention pond, declared a state of emergency on Monday. The Rural Municipality of Prince Albert, the RM of Buckland and Muskoday First Nation — which have all been without water since Monday — also declared states of emergency this week.
Duane McKay, executive director for the provincial department of emergency management and fire safety, said liaison officers have been assigned to assist those communities. Nearby communities, including Shellbrooke and St. Louis, have invited people without water to fill up there. Bottled water and tankers full of water have been sent to communities without water.