Saskatchewan city shuts down water intake due to Husky Energy oil slick

The Saskatchewan city of NorthBattleford shut down its water intake plant Friday because of amajor pipeline oil spill.

Stewart Schafer, the city's director of operations, said an oil slick was detected downstream from the city on the North Saskatchewan River.

"This morning they saw the sheen downstream from us," Schafersaid Friday. "Husky reported to water security that they ... saw asheen and so everything gets shut right down.

"How much, how big, I couldn't tell you."

• 200K litres of oil from Husky Energy pipe leaked into North Saskatchewan River, company says

• Husky Energy's progress from downturn clouded by spill into Saskatchewan river

Husky Energy has said between 200,000 and 250,000 litres of crudeoil and other material leaked into the river on Thursday from itspipeline near Maidstone, Sask.

Schafer said the city has a backup supply of water in itsreservoirs and water tower. It also has a ground-water treatmentplant.

"We have about three days and then we have to start up the otherplant. By that time we are hoping that whatever contaminants hit theriver are flushed down."

The reservoirs and water tower had already been filled tocapacity as a precautionary measure.

North Battleford Mayor Ian Hamilton was asking residents to slowthe flow from their taps to help ensure an adequate supply.

Husky was trying to contain the spill using booms across theriver, about 40 kilometres upstream from North Battleford. Chiefoperationing officer Rob Peabody said some of the spilled oil was onland and was being recovered.

"What we do know is the leak was not under the river, as far aswe can see," he told a conference call Friday morning.

"The leakwas kind of in a location near the river."

The pipeline runs from Husky's heavy oil operations to its facilities in Lloydminster and carries oil mixed with a lighter hydrocarbon, called a diluent, that's added to ease the flow.

Samples taken from river

Ralph Bock of the Environment Ministry said Thursday the WaterSecurity Agency would take samples from the river past the boom tocheck for any hydrocarbons.

Wes Kotyk of the department's environmental protection branchsaid the spill, which he said was equivalent to two rail cars, wasof a "higher magnitude" than Saskatchewan is used to.

"This is a rare event. We don't have incidents of this magnitudevery often," Kotyk told reporters Friday morning, addingit hasbeen a number of years since there's been an oil spill into water.

Kotyk said fish and wildlife staff were developing a plan in casewildlife is affected.

Peabody said it could be several weeks before a cause for thespill is known. He didn't know the age of the pipeline, butsaid itwould have been regularly inspected under Husky's management plan.

Premier continues support for pipelines

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said no one wants to see an oilspill occur, but the latest leak doesn't change his support forpipelines.

"The facts remain that if we're not moving by a pipeline, it'sgoing to move ... (by rail). We know that rail is actually moresusceptible to spills and spills are often more intense," Wall saidfrom Whitehorse, Yukon, where he was attending a premiers meeting.

Wall also said moving oil by rail also takes a greater toll onthe environment by creating more greenhouse gas emissions.

Husky president Asim Ghosh was asked about any potential negativepublic reaction to pipeline spills.

"To be honest with you, I distinguish between a media reactionand a public reaction," he said. "But as far as we are concerned,we just focus on getting on with the job, you know. If we've got apipeline spill, we address the pipeline spill.

"We ensure we've got procedures in place and we ensure we makethe procedures even more robust from each learning experience."