By Kamloops This Week
One hundred litres of crude oil spilled from a Trans Mountain pipeline station near Darfield Sunday morning.
According to the environment ministry, the 100-litre spill came from a flow metre at about 5 a.m. and was contained to the station site. The spill did not leak into any waterways, including the nearby North Thompson River, a spokesperson confirmed.
The ministry said cleanup is underway.
In a statement, Kinder Morgan said that crews were on site to cleanup “medium crude blend” that had spilled from “station piping.”
The Trans Mountain pipeline was shut down for much of Sunday, but reopened at 3:20 p.m.
Sharon Halliwell lives about a city block from the Darfield station and told KTW she was visited by a Kinder Morgan representative on Sunday morning.
“He said there was a release,” she recounted. “I questioned him and asked if that was the same as a spill. He said yes.”
Halliwell said she was told Kinder Morgan was aware of the spill and contacted the Ministry of Environment.
“He told me I would probably be hearing and seeing activity there for the next 10 days,” she said.
Halliwell said the spill created an odour that smelled like tar, but by Sunday afternoon a breeze had apparently carried the smell away.
“Either that or I am used to it by now,” she said, noting Kinder Morgan officials will visit her if there is venting or other activity planned.
Halliwell said she is on well water, but was assured by Kinder Morgan that her water supply is unaffected and safe to use.
“I’m hoping they’re not lying,” she said.
Before the incident at the station on Sunday, Halliwell said, she was not a supporter of Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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