Since the federal government approved Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in late November, many residents have been left with questions and concerns.
To alleviate some of those concerns, Kinder Morgan hosted an open house at the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre on Jan. 26, just two days after a pipeline leak in Saskatchewan, which spilled about 200,000 litres of oil near Stoughton.
While Kinder Morgan was not responsible for the spill, Lisa Clement, media relations with the company, said she understands the leak has raised concerns.
鈥淲e never want a spill. No one in this industry wants a spill. We obviously want to transport that oil from point A to point B and never lose track鈥攏ot because it鈥檚 money, but because it鈥檚 the environment,鈥� she said at the open house.
Only 26 people attended the meeting.
Since 1961, Kinder Morgan has reported 82 spills to the National Energy Board (NEB) related to its Trans Mountain pipeline system that runs from Strathcona County, near Edmonton, to Burnaby, B.C.
About 70 per cent of those spills have occurred at pump stations or terminals. The remaining 30 per cent have occurred along the pipeline鈥檚 route. No spills have ever been reported in Jasper.
Under NEB regulations, only spills into a body of water or spills that are greater than 1,500 litres must be reported. However, Clement said for transparency sake, Trans Mountain reports all spills, no matter the size. Out of the 82 spills, nine exceeded that reporting threshold.
鈥淥ur operating history is quite good and is all available online,鈥� Clement reiterated. 鈥淭his is the most environmentally friendly way to transport the product and we know how important the environment is especially in a national park.
鈥淭his is one of the few projects that we鈥檙e actually able to say that we鈥檝e done this before.鈥�
The Trans Mountain pipeline system first came through Jasper National Park in 1953, transporting oil from northern Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. In 2008, Kinder Morgan completed the Anchor Loop project, which involved installing a second pipeline adjacent to the existing Trans Mountain pipeline鈥攁 158-kilometre section between Hinton, Alta., and Hargreaves, B.C., just west of Mount Robson Provincial Park.
Since then the second pipe has sat dormant in anticipation of the pipeline鈥檚 expansion.
The expansion, a $6.8-billion project, envisions tripling the amount of oil transported by pipeline running directly through Jasper National Park (JNP). The expansion would include reactivating 193 kms of existing pipeline鈥攖he majority of which was built for the Anchor Loop project.
鈥淥ne of the biggest misconceptions we hear is that we鈥檙e building a third pipe. That鈥檚 just not true,鈥� Clement said.
Unlike the Anchor Loop project, which required large work crews, expansion work in JNP will be small using about 5-10 workers to reactivate the second pipe.
While the second pipeline is less than a decade old, Jill Seaton, member of the Jasper Environmental Association, has previously expressed concern over dormant pipes and the age of Jasper鈥檚 original pipeline. Clement addressed those concerns, saying that properly cared for pipes can essentially last forever.
鈥淭he worry of age is very common and the answer to that is that with proper integrity and proper maintenance a pipeline can have an infinite life. There are many parts of the pipeline that have been replaced over the years in order to maintain that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f there is an anomaly then it would be investigated with the inline inspection tool and then they could ultimately dig up the pipeline, inspect it and then repair it.鈥�
As for the deactivated second pipeline, Clement said gas has been constantly pumped through the pipe to keep up its maintenance.
鈥淚n many ways, Jasper is a legacy project for our company and we feel confident that our company can do it again and do it safely,鈥� Clement said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檝e learned from Jasper we can bring down the line in the future and that鈥檚 really important.鈥�
Prior to the open house, Kinder Morgan officials privately met with members of Jasper鈥檚 municipality to address community safety and emergency response plans.
鈥淲e have a better understanding of what will happen in Jasper National Park鈥攚hich is outside our jurisdiction鈥攁nd what impact the project may have on our community. We also confirmed Trans Mountain鈥檚 emergency response plan, personnel and resources, and how they contribute to our own emergency response efforts, whether pipeline related or otherwise,鈥� wrote Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.
Kinder Morgan has also been participating in the town鈥檚 emergency management exercises for several years and contributes to the emergency response equipment available within the municipality, namely through an OSCAR trailer (oil spill containment and recovery) that is stationed in Jasper.
Environmental impacts were also brought up at the meeting, but Christine Nadon, the municipality鈥檚 legislative services manager, said those impacts mostly fall within Parks Canada鈥檚 jurisdiction and process.
The pipeline expansion was conditionally approved in May by the NEB, but must meet 157 conditions, including 49 environmental requirements. At least two of those conditions are specific to JNP. 聽Since then, Steve Young, a communications officer for Parks Canada, wrote that the agency has set out on a rigorous development review and environmental assessment process.
鈥淧arks Canada was fully engaged in the National Energy Board hearing process. The agency鈥檚 recommendations to the National Energy Board were accepted and conditions on the project will ensure that Jasper National Park鈥檚 ecological integrity and world heritage site status are maintained,鈥� Young wrote.
In the NEB鈥檚 report of the project, Parks Canada recommended a number of conditions related to pipeline reactivation work in JNP, including a request for an updated environmental protection plan and restoration plan, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans compensation plan, a post-reactivation monitoring program, a pre- and post-reactivation follow-up program for wetland function, and a remediation program for previously unidentified contaminated sites.
After Trans Mountain accepted the recommendations, Parks said if Kinder Morgan follows the agreed conditions then it is unlikely that the project will cause significant adverse effects to the ecological integrity of the park.
However, many are still unconvinced.
Jasperite Art Jackson, who attended the open house, said while the meeting was informational he can鈥檛 help but worry about Canada鈥檚 ecological integrity as a whole.
鈥淚 have a lot of issues with the whole oil patch business and the granting of the pipelines鈥� Kinder Morgan will do what they are told to do, but it鈥檚 our government鈥檚 policies that I have a problem with,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚 think the government鈥檚 policies are very short-sighted about dealing with the upstream and downstream impacts. They are just looking at this as a pipeline, but not looking at the tar sands, the continued disruption of the North and the tanker traffic, which will increase.
鈥淭o me I鈥檓 seeing this disaster that continues to unfold with no recourse for the future generations. I find it a very unsettling situation."
Kayla Byrne
[email protected]
