Plains Midstream faces charges over oil spill

Plains Midstream is facing charges following a leak in a pipeline that released almost half a million litres of oil into an Alberta river. The Alberta Energy Regulator has announced that the company, which owns the pipeline, will face a number of charges for its involvement in the leak, reports the Canadian Press.

The oil company is now facing charges under the federal Fisheries Act, as well as one for failing to report the leak, which is required by law. The leak occurred on June 7th 2012, with oil spilling from Plains Midstream's Rangeland Pipeline. Oil was discovered following reports from landowners of the area smelling like rotten eggs, which is created by sour oil or gas.

Looking into the incident, the Alberta Energy Regulator released a report earlier in the year. It concluded that the pipeline was not inspected as often as regulations require by the oil company. Plains Midstream was also found to have failed to pay attention to government warnings.

Around 461,000 litres of oil spilled from the pipeline into Jackson Creek, which then flows into the Red Deer River.

Once the leak was discovered, the company did not take measures to mitigate the damage that were adequate for the size of the spill. It also did not communicate well with the hundreds of residents in the area that were affected by the leak.

Heavy rain around the time of the leak was found to have increased flows to around ten-times the normal volume. This meant that the riverbed around the pipe became eroded and shifted, revealing the line. According to the regulator, a "guillotine failure" then occurred at a weld point around the pipe, resulting in the spill.

The regulator found that there were no structural problems with the pipeline, despite it being 50 years old. However, it was not inspected as often as regulations dictate.

"Had Plains responded to the government of Alberta's high streamflow advisory issued prior to the incident, it could have isolated, cleaned and purged the pipeline section, leaving the pipeline in a safe condition," the report said.