Between 20 and 25 barrels of oil have leaked from the Trans Mountain pipeline near Hope, B.C. but the spill will not affect waterways or wildlife, Kinder Morgan says.
The company was alerted to the leak – its second spill in June – on Wednesday.
Kinder Morgan shut down the pipeline after crews discovered what appeared to be a “small amount of oil” staining the ground in an area about 40 kilometres east of Hope.
“The source of the seepage was from a small defect in the pipeline that was detected by the company’s pipeline integrity program,” said spokesman Andy Galarnyk.
He said that crews are now removing contaminated soil to restore the area to the same condition it was in before the leak.
“Despite the small volume of oil released, the Company response continues to be immediate and thorough with safety as a top priotity in protecting people, and the environment as it works toward repairing and bringing the pipeline back into service,” Galarnyk said.
A spokeswoman for the National Energy Board said a team was at the scene of the leak early Thursday and confirmed there were no immediate safety concerns for residents of the rural area.
"We will look to determine whether these are isolated incidents or whether they're similar in nature and whether additional action is taken by the board,” Rebecca Taylor said.
Kinder Morgan was forced to shut down the Trans Mountain pipeline – which runs from Alberta to Burnaby – on June 12 when several barrels of oil were lost through a crack in the line near Merritt, B.C.
The company wants to twin the pipeline, which would triple its capacity and increase oil tanker traffic in B.C. waters.
It would also include shipments of diluted bitumen, a heavier, molasses-like oil that critics claim is harder to clean up.
The Trans Mountain line currently moves 300,000 barrels per day of various petroleum products across southern B.C.
With files from The Canadian Press and Maria Weisgarber
