Notley stresses pipeline safety after another spill
Premier Rachel Notley is downplaying the political impact of a significant new pipeline spill that occurred as she was pitching the need for new pipelines to her fellow premiers.
Calgary-based Husky Energy notified the Saskatchewan government on Thursday that between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of crude oil and other material had leaked into the North Saskatchewan River from its pipeline near Maidstone.
The spill forced the city of North Battleford to shut down its water intake plant on Friday.
At the closing news conference of the Council of the Federation in Whitehorse on Friday, Notley said, “No one wants to see pipeline spills.”
“But I think that even with this spill it remains the case that absolutely the safest way to transport oil and gas is by pipeline and so the key is to ensure that we incorporate the safest mechanisms possible, the highest standards in terms of pipeline safety and pipeline monitoring, and also the highest standards in terms of cleanup,” she said.
Notley went to the annual meeting with a message that new pipelines are needed not just for Alberta but for the rest of Canada.
Alberta is keen to see pipeline projects built to open new markets — and win a better price — for oilsands crude.
But with strong environmental opposition to projects favoured by Notley’s NDP government, including Kinder Morgan’s planned Trans Mountain expansion in British Columbia and the proposed Energy East project to the Atlantic coast, some premiers have been leery about new pipelines and have set numerous conditions for their approval.
Notley said she has no problem with other jurisdictions focusing on pipeline safety.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall also said he didn’t see the Husky spill affecting the case for pipelines.
“The facts remain that if we’re not moving by a pipeline, it’s going to move ... ( by rail).
“We know that rail is actually more susceptible to spills, and spills are often more intense,” said Wall, who has been at odds with Notley over issues such as carbon pricing even as they both support pipelines.