Alberta pipelines: 6 major oil spills in recent history

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Alberta pipelines: 6 major oil spills in recent history

[ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/alberta-p ... -1.3156604 ]

3 leaks occurred within 1-month time span, adding to pipeline-vs.-rail safety debate

CBC News Posted: Jul 17, 2015 2:07 PM ET| Last Updated: Jul 17, 2015 7:05 PM ET

Five million litres of a bitumen-water-sand emulsion were found to have leaked Wednesday from a Nexen Energy pipeline south of Fort McMurray, Alta. — one of the biggest oil spills in the province's history.

It adds further fuel to the debate over pipeline safety that continues to rage on, most recently emerging as a point of contention among premiers meeting in St. John's this week.

It's not the first time crews have been dispatched to clean up a leak.

Here are six other pipeline spills in Alberta:

EXCERPT:

Little Buffalo - In April 2011, almost 4.5 million litres of crude oil leaked near the First Nations community of Little Buffalo in northwest Alberta — the largest spill in the province in 35 years.

Red Deer River - Plains Midstream got into trouble again with another spill in June 2012, this time into a central Alberta river system.

Rainbow Lake - In late May 2012, about 3.5-million litres (or 22,000 barrels) of oil and water leaked into muskeg close to the Northwest Territories border.

Elk Point - A pipeline flange gasket failed at an Enbridge pumping station northeast of Edmonton and spilled about 230,000 litres (1,400 barrels) of crude oil in June 2012.

Slave Lake - An aboveground pipe failure owned by Canadian Natural Resources caused 70,000 litres of oil and processed water to spill near Slave Lake, Alta.

Red Earth Creek - Just a few months later, a Canadian Natural Resources-owned pipeline spilled oil again into muskeg in northern Alberta.

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