Dear Editor
By the time this letter makes it to printing it will be four months since the Husky oil spill occurred.
I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Husky Energy for waking people up around North Battleford and surrounding communities to the fact that, yes indeed, pipelines cannot be trusted.
Especially if the pipelines are more than 20 years in age.
Recently Husky Energy released their report on the “cause” of the spill, which basically places blame on ground movement.
Ground movement takes away accountability, when, in fact, a pipeline carrying heavy crude oil leaked and flowed into the North Saskatchewan River, a pipeline that Husky Energy laid and used with little monitoring. Otherwise the leak wouldn’t have happened.
There was also statements given regarding the removal of vast amounts (which in reality is rather impossible) of diluted heavy crude oil from the surface, river banks as well as in the sediments. Ninety-three precent recovery is hugely inflated. I’ve had the opportunity to listen to different circles and it seems a large percentage of citizens do not concur with the findings and do not believe the reports, reports that paint a pretty picture to calm the masses, as is the usual tactic.
My commute to work goes over the river twice a day and there are still days where the river surface appears “greasy.” And what of the PAH balls (polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons) which have the toxicity to cause cancer? Is there any on-going testing?
These PAH balls can attach to sediments, sink or rise up from disturbances and enter into the drinking water undetected.
Let us not forget that at the time most of the pipes were laid, the government (provincial and federal) did a fine job of keeping everyone distracted through minimizing, storytelling (or not telling) or playing on the old “out of sight out of mind” tactic.
So, thank you to Husky Energy and all those connected to the Husky Energy company for their role in solidifying the fact that pipelines are not safe no matter what words are used.
Water is life.
Lori Nicotine
North Battleford
