McNAMARA: RAINBOW PIPELINE SPILL

[Oscar]

McNAMARA: RAINBOW PIPELINE SPILL

April 5, 2012

MLA Frank Oberle’s Alberta government and the pipeline owners did not inform the First Nations community of Little Buffalo until four days after the spill occurred (May 3, 2011, the day after the federal election). The elementary school was shut down April 29, 2011, after many of the students and staff started complaining of dizziness, headaches, nausea and disorientation. This was not a case of people getting symptoms after hearing of an event as no one knew about the spill yet.

The Alberta government didn’t undertake air monitoring in Little Buffalo until five days after the spill. Environment Minister Rob Renner’s claim that the spill was in a “very remote location” is false as Little Buffalo is less than ten km from the spill site. Plains Pipeline admitted the pipeline shut itself down a number of times before the leak was discovered. Instead of investigating the cause, the operators kept restarting the line.

(Google: Rainbow Pipeline Spill video)

Despite repeated requests, the Alberta government, Plains Pipeline and the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) have never explained the reason for the 103-hour delay in notifying Little Buffalo.

Given our Prime Minister’s support of pipelines, were they trying to hide the spill from voters until after the election? Were they trying to hide their inability to deal with aproblem of this magnitude? Or was my First Nations friend correct when he said: “They just didn’t give a damn about a bunch of Indians living in the bush”.

Was this incompetence, corruption, immoral conduct or criminal negligence? The ERCB, Alberta Environment, Alberta Health Services, Plains Pipeline and our MLAs must be held accountable for their inactions after the oil spill was discovered. Their complete disregard for the health and safety of the Lubicons is inexcusable!

Pat McNamara
Posted on Facebook page: Ousting Offending Officials Out Of Office

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(2011) Large crude oil spill near Little Buffalo

http://www.prrecordgazette.com/
ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=3112896

By Erin Steele, Record-Gazette Posted 11 months ago

Little Buffalo School is closed indefinitely following the largest oil spill in Alberta in 36 years on Lubicon Cree First Nation territory, about 100 kilometres away from Peace River.

Over 28,000 barrels of crude oil flowed out of a pipeline, owned and operated by Plains Midstream Canada, which began leaking at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, April 29.

Many of the 125 kids who attend the school began noticing headaches, dizziness, disorientation and nausea at about 9:30 a.m. that same day, though the school staff were unaware of the incident at that time. The school closed for the day and then re-opened again Monday; staff and students still largely unaware of the spill, aside from rumoured word from Lubicon community members. It was evacuated again that day because of the odour and its affects on the kids.

Reached by phone last Wednesday, principal Brian Alexander said he is feeling in the dark about the situation, not knowing what to do.

"We haven't been able to get answers. I am just standing by the phone," he told the Record-Gazette.

He said he is waiting on direction from the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB,) the regulator of Alberta's oil and gas industry.

"I am in disbelief of how they are handling the situation," he said.

Chief of the Lubicon Cree First Nation, Steve Noskey, concurs with Alexander's sentiment.

"This is a lot of disrespect to First Nations as a whole," Noskey said. By Thursday, almost a week after the spill, Noskey had not personally heard a word from the ERCB, Alberta Health Services or Alberta Environment, he said. [ . . . ]