In our last article, we discussed what happened during the Lac-Mégantic disaster. This time, we’d like to take a closer look at the adverse outcomes of that disaster and compare how train accidents compare to pipeline accidents. At the moment, there is no option where oil isn’t shipped. People in BC and Ontario need to keep driving cars and heating their homes, so the oil has to get there. We won’t pretend that not shipping the oil is an option.
The Keystone Pipeline connects the Alberta oil sands to US Refineries. On a typical day, it transports 590,000 barrels of oil. On November 16th 2017, the pipeline leaked in South Dakota and 5,000 barrels of oil were lost into the environment before it was shut down automatically. The oil was contained, and it didn’t contaminate local waterways. Employees had been working around the clock to clean the mess, and as of November 24th, just over a fifth, or 1057 barrels, had been recovered by TransCanada. When tests on wells and other waterways were performed less than 1.5 miles from the spill, the results were normal. This leaks was estimated to be the 13th largest, and no one was hurt.
Lac-Mégantic is a town in the southern Quebec close to the US border. Very early in the morning of July 6, 2013, a 74-cart freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in the town. Just under 35,000 barrels of oil were lost into the environment. Some barrels fed the inferno, others contaminated the land and waterways. The disaster site was so heavily contaminated that for an entire month, firefighters and investigators could only work in 15-minute shifts due to heat and toxic conditions. Between the explosions, the fires, and the contamination, the entire downtown, save for 3 buildings, had to be demolished and rebuilt. Over 600 barrels of oil flooded the Chaudière River and the town of Saint-Georges, 80 kilometres away, had to take emergency action to prevent contamination of their water supply. This disaster led to 47 deaths and left 27 children fully or partially orphaned.
These are two very specific examples, so here are some statistics that look at overall average spill volumes for oil in transit. According to Transport Canada and the National Energy Board, pipelines, on average, create spills of just over 12,000 L or around 77 barrels of oil. Trains, on the other hand, spill an average of 70,000L or 440 barrels of oil. However, it’s worth noting that pipeline spills are more common than train accidents.
At WestCal, we understand that transporting is currently oil is a necessity. It may not always be one, but it is right now. In our opinion, saving human life should be Canada’s first priority when deciding how to transport oil, and the environment should be an important secondary consideration. That is why we continue to support pipeline technology and offer our services to make pipelines as safe and efficient as possible.
