Two years ago today, TransCanada’s pipeline in Otterburne, Manitoba ruptured and exploded sending flames hundreds of metres into the winter skies.
The pipeline was found to have ruptured due to a faulty weld created when it was built in 1960. The fatally flawed weld was not detected by any of TransCanada’s inspections over the last 54 years.
TransCanada’s pipeline Integrity Management Program is supposed to prevent ruptures like the one in Otterburne. It failed. Just like it has failed in the other eight pipeline ruptures the corporation has had in Canada since 2009- more ruptures than any other pipeline company according to National Energy Board statistics. These ruptures occurred on both recently built pipelines and pipelines that are decades old which raises serious questions about TransCanada’s ability to safely design, build and maintain pipelines.
TransCanada’s terrible record requires serious consideration by the various elected officials that support the building of the Energy East project. TransCanada is currently seeking approval to convert their forty year old Mainline natural gas pipeline to carry tar sands crude from Alberta through Ontario and then (in a newly built section of pipeline) across Quebec to an export terminal in New Brunswick. The Energy East pipeline would be the largest in Canada and pump 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day. It would also increase CO2 emissions by about 32 million tonnes per year- the same as putting 7 million more cars on the road.
The proposed capacity of Energy East is so great that even a leak of just 1.5% per day (which is under the detection limit of TransCanada’s control system) would produce a massive spill- up to 2.6 million litres for every day that the leak goes undetected. Given how remote much of the Energy East route is, an undetected leak could easily go on for weeks before it is noticed, potentially creating the worst oil spill in Canadian history.
According to our recent report based on TransCanada’s safety record, Energy East pipeline would have a 15 per cent chance per year of rupturing- read the report here: Quantifying Risk: Calculating the probability of an Energy East pipeline rupture.
Sign this petition to the federal government against Energy East!
Send this letter to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to tell her to reject Energy East!
Watch our 4 minute video about the Energy East project here: www.canadians.org/energyeast101
“I found that TransCanada had a culture of non-compliance, deeply entrenched business practices that ignored legally required regulations and codes.” Former TransCanada engineer Evan Vokes’ testimony before THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES- June 6th 2013
