Canadian Pipeline Spills Crude Oil into Major River

[HarveyDarkey]

Heavy rains exacerbating spill
- Common Dreams staff

Oil company Plains Midstream Canada has announced that a large oil spill has erupted from its Plains' Rangeland Pipeline operations in West-Central Alberta. The company estimates up to 3,000 barrels of 'sour crude' oil has leaked into a large river system surrounded by 'pristine wilderness'. The spill is the second in 13 months from Plains Midstream, who has now halted operations as emergency crews attempt to clean up the spill.


Alberta's Red Deer River pictured June 8, 2012 after an oil spill. (Nathan VanderKlippe/The Globe and Mail) "It has entered the Red Deer River and (the river) is at very high flow volume," Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board spokesman Bob Curran said.

Heavy rain this month is exacerbating the spread of the spill, as the river is moving very quickly at the moment, CTV reports today. Surrounding towns are currently announcing flood warnings, as the oil heads down stream towards Alberta's third-largest city Red Deer.

Plains Midstream is still in the process of cleaning up last year's 28,000 barrel spill in northern Alberta. The crude spilled near a native community in late April last year.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/06/08-3

[Electric Monk]

1. Disgusting

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014139496

[Thinkingabout]

2. Hey repubs, here are the jobs for pipelines.

How safe is a pipeline running in our clean water, it is not safe. Now get up and get some real jobs going.

[HarveyDarkey]

6. .

[Dragonfli]

7. .

[limpyhobbler]

3. The terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice.

This sounds like a job for the Alberta Counterterrorism Unit.

[stevedeshazer]

20. Holy crap!

The Alberta Counterterrorism Unit? I thought it was a joke until I read your link.

Thanks. I had no idea.

The comments in the link are priceless.

[limpyhobbler]

22. I just read through those comments

Yeah those were something else.

[SoutherDem]

4. And they want to put one of those right through the U.S., right?

Yes, we need jobs but not at the cost of our clean water.

[AJTheMan]

5. You would think these groups would put in common sense safety measures.

Like "Hey, let's not run an oil pipeline right next to a major waterway."

[spanone]

8. drill baby drill

[Doctor_J]

9. This is what Fox Nation wants to bring to Nebraska

Republicanism = cancer

[Dragonfli]

10. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is crude, very bad when spilled, but isn't the crap they

wish to send via XL even worse stuff?
I heard the tar sand oil was far more toxic as well as more problematic to remedy when contamination occurs.

I actually hope I am corrected and that I'm wrong.

[HarveyDarkey]

11. You're not wrong

Besides being much more toxic, it's highly abrasive. Think sand, pumped under enormous pressure because it's think & sludgy (tar + sand) & they want to pump it from Canada to Texass. Texass is not a typo.

[Dragonfli]

13. Pure insanity, but they will build the damn thing, and our party leadership will applaud

while it's party members puke.

They will ignore us on this issue, it won't even cost very much in "donations" as an investment by those that would poison us.
There will be photo-ops and smiles as the project is green-lighted as some sort of progressive job initiative.

[snappyturtle]

14. If I remember correctly from a spill in Michigan that tar sands

oil sinks and makes it more difficult to clean up and the clean up costs are higher too.

[Dragonfli]

15. and they wish to transport these toxins thousands of miles under pressure across the water-tables

of our nation?

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

[snappyturtle]

19. It takes a bit of imagination to think this is a good idea but many do....like you

said, brilliant, simply brilliant.

[Zoeisright]

12. Gee, WHAT a surprise.

Not.

[Prometheus Bound]

16. "Pristine wilderness". And the government curses not the pollutors, but environmental groups.

The federal natural resources minister has just called environmental groups radicals, as though they are some sort of fringe wacko group.

[LiberalAndProud]

17. Plains Midstream Canada is claiming there are no health risks.

Sour oil contains high levels of hydrogen sulfide.

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/hydrogen_sulfide_fact.pdf
Health effects of H2S exposure
Hydrogen sulfide is both an irritant and a
chemical asphyxiant with effects on both
oxygen utilization and the central nervous
system. Its health effects can vary depending
on the level and duration of exposure.
Repeated exposure can result in health effects
occurring at levels that were previously tolerated
without any effect.

http://michigan.gov/documents/cis_wsh_cet5041_90142_7.doc
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Consultation Education & Training Division

HYDROGEN SULFIDE & SOUR CRUDE OIL

"HAZARD TO LIFE
A POTENTIAL KILLER"

To PMC I say "Turnip truck."

[sorefeet]

18. Thats why we don't want it running thru Montana

That stuff is nasty, very dirty to refine. So we pump that shit thru pristine America, refine in LA. or TX. at a Koch Bro. refinery, make gas and ship it to China. America won't get a drop of the gas, just the dirty refinery pollution. In the end there is minimal employment because these pipelines are automated.

[Harmony Blue]

23. The jobs provided by the proposed pipeline project

pretty much are short term, but they never point that out so they can deceive the public.

[Rectangle]

21. Hey Redstates, Nebraska, Kansas ect.. Lookee what your corporate overlords have

planned for your agriculture , water supply and your way-of-life.
'Sure you want to keep pulling the lever for these guys?