Large spill at Canada’s oil sands terminal

Deaths and Oil Spills: Hallmarks of Enbridge Inc, Canada

Enbridge Inc, Canada’s 2nd largest pipeline company, confirmed 4,000 barrels of oil spewed out of its oil storage facility in northern Alberta on Saturday.

Flames and smoke rise above Enbridge’s oil pipeline fire that killed two workers near Enbridge Energy Partners terminal in Clearbrook, Minn., November 28, 2007.  In April 2007, the same pipeline ruptured in Saskatchewan. Enbridge has reported two other leaks in its Canadian lines since 2001. (Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald/Associated Press). Image may be subject to copyright.

The company sends oilsands crude to the U.S. through its pipelines.  A spokesperson for Calgary-based Enbridge blamed a valve failure for the spill which reportedly occurred  at its Cheecham terminal south of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Syncrude Oil Sand Mine, Alberta, Canada. The Mildred Lake facility. The yellow structures in front of the tailings pond are sulfur stockpiles; the extraction plant is just to the right of this photograph and most of the mine lies to the left. Source

In May 2008, at least 500 hundred migratory ducks died after landing on an oilsands tailings pond at Syncrude’s Aurora North Site mine, north of Fort McMurray.