After a one-day closure because of a spill near Hope, which was the second spill in two weeks, Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline was restarted Thursday night.
Kinder Morgan spokesman Andy Galarnyk told Business in Vancouver that between 20 and 25 barrels of oil were lost.
Galarnyk said crews remain on scene to determine the origin of the spill, although he predicted the cause “won’t be known for some time yet.”
The latest spill marked the second shutdown of the pipeline this month. The first leak was found on June 12, near Merritt. In that incident, 12 barrels of oil were spilt, prompting the pipeline to be closed for two days.
The energy giant also released a detailed preliminary route for its planned twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline yesterday.
On the website talk.transmountain.com, every community along the pipeline route – from Valemount to Burnaby and other rural B.C. areas – is able to view Kinder Morgan’s proposed path.
For a list of all communities, click here.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Kinder Morgan representatives outlined the company’s plans to conduct studies on soil, wildlife, fisheries and wetlands and to distribute community feedback forms to affected municipalities.
According to Greg Toth, senior project manager with Kinder Morgan, the majority of the project will follow the existing pipeline route. Various areas in Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey, however, will require new routes.
The company plans to file its full application to the National Energy Board (NEB) by the end of 2013. The information gleaned from communities, data from the various environmental studies and the company’s planned route will be included.
Toth said Kinder Morgan has no information yet on compensation it may have to provide expropriated homeowners.
Currently, there are four homes in the area of Westridge Terminal in Burnaby – the terminus of the Trans Mountain Pipeline – that Toth said would be affected by the work.
All negotiations for land use will take place between Kinder Morgan and respective landowners. Negotiations can begin before any application to the NEB has been filed. The NEB has no jurisdiction over compensation agreements. Typically, companies hire appraisers that determine the value of the land in question.
In addition to loss of land, compensation can be sought for the use of any temporary work space, any inconvenience caused by construction and all damages suffered as a result of the expansion.
If approved, Kinder Morgan expects to begin construction of the pipeline in 2016. The company expects construction to last two years. The most “active” construction periods, according to Kinder Morgan documents, will be in 2016 and 2017.
