Energy East pipeline would cross almost 3,000 waterways in Canada
April 12, 2016
By
CCE
Environmentalists say "clean water — must take precedence over exporting dirty oil"
A report by Environmental Defence is not helping TransCanada’s cause to build the Energy East pipeline. On April 7, the environmentalists group released its study, “Energy East: A Risk to Our Drinking Water,” which it says “shows the magnitude of the threat Energy East poses to Canadians’ drinking water sources.”
According to the report, the pipeline would cross nearly 3,000 water bodies on its 4,600-kilometre journey. “Over five million Canadians across Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick draw their drinking water from sources within spill range and downstream of the pipeline’s proposed route,” Environmental Defence said in a press release.
“Protecting our most valuable resource — clean water — must take precedence over exporting dirty oil,” said Adam Scott of Environmental Defence.
Andrea Harden-Donahue of the Council of Canadians added: “With a pipeline the size of Energy East, a major rupture threatens to be the largest pipeline spill Canada has ever experienced. Energy East is simply not worth the risk.”
The report estimates the numbers of Canadians living in the oil spill zone totals
5,061,433.
The provincial breakdown is as follows:
– Manitoba 676,613
– Ontario 1,040,788
– Quebec 3,213,353
– New Brunswick 130,679
The number of water crossings it encounters is said to be 2,963.
The environmentalists had further ammunition when the Keystone pipeline had a spill in South Dakota at the beginning of April. Trans Canada estimated that around 400 barrels, or just under 17,000 gallons, had leaked from the pipeline, which takes Alberta oil to Illinois and Oklahoma. The spill was discovered on April 2 and shut down the pipeline for a week.
The Energy East pipeline proposal involves converting an existing natural gas pipeline to carry bitumen, as well as constructing new pipeline sections. If it receives environmental approval, the pipe would carry 1.1 million barrels of crude oil every day from Alberta and Saskatchewan, starting with a new tank terminal in Hardisty, Alberta. There would be two new terminals, one in Saskatchewan, and another near Saint John, New Brunswick. Saint John would also have a new marine facility.
To see the Environmental Defence news release, and download a copy of the report, click here.
To read about the Keystone pipeline spill in April, click here.
To read about the proposed Energy East Pipeline, click here.
