Oil spill and safety of living beings

Residents of Burnaby, British Columbia, were just finishing lunch around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, when they looked up to see a geyser of oil shooting up 12 meters into the air. The “eruption” lasted for 25 minutes, coating everything around it with a layer of black lacquer.

The cause? An excavator had ruptured an underground crude oil pipeline. A road crew had been digging with the excavator when they accidentally ran into the pipeline, which conveyed oil to the harbor.

When there is an oil spill, the most important considerations immediately after the event are the health and safety of the public and the cleanup crews that respond to the spill. In this case only eight homes were directly affected, but about 50 households were asked to leave their homes.

As cleanup crews began mopping up the mess, it was clear that the biggest casualty in this incident may be the environment as tens of thousands of liters rained on yards and houses. A still undetermined volume also went into the city’s storm sewers which drain into the waters of Burrard Inlet – a sensitive area of wetlands and marine habitats.

Environmental experts were still trying to assess the full extent of the damage. Burrard Inlet is home to several salmon species. Experts said animals can no longer control the buildup of their body heat if they get covered with oil, and this can lead to deaths. None have been found yet, but dead animals are expected to be seen soon.

Environmentalists say the real tragedy is that a moratorium on oil-related activity along the coast is not being followed. The city, they say, imports toxicity and exports global warming. This activity may soon increase as more oil is produced in landlocked Alberta and oil companies look for a port.

Transportation Safety Board investigations are still underway, even as the road crew blamed the pipeline company for having an improperly marked pipeline. The pipeline owner puts the blame on the crew. City officials say there are strict guidelines intended to ensure these accidents will not happen. Apparently, the guidelines were not enough.