Trans Mountain pipeline restarts after spill in Abbotsford
Posted June 14, 2020 1:54 pm.
Last Updated June 14, 2020 6:05 pm.
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Trans Mountain estimates as much as 1,195 barrels of light crude spilled from its pipeline pumping station in Abbotsford on Saturday.
The company said the pipeline was restarted at approximately 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
While an investigation is ongoing, the Crown-owned company said in a statement the cause of the spill appears to be related to a fitting on a one-inch, or 2.5-centimetre, piece of pipe.
The statement said the pipeline was expected to restart after all safety protocols were completed.
“An Incident Command Post remains active and the company continues to work with local authorities, area Indigenous groups and regulators, including the Canada Energy Regulator, Transportation Safety Board and BC Ministry of Environment in the oversight and clean-up of this incident. Indigenous representatives have visited the site and monitors are assisting the effort. Clean-up and remediation will continue in coordination with regulators, Indigenous groups and the local community,” it reads.
It says the spill was fully contained on Trans Mountain property, the free-standing oil has been recovered and it will be disposed of at an approved facility.
The site has permanent air and groundwater monitoring in place and the statement says there’s been no indication of a risk to the public or community.
The pipeline was shut early Saturday when an alarm was received about the spill at the station in the B.C.’s Fraser Valley, not far from the U.S. border.
