To the editor:
I read Al Waters’ excellent story (Making the Case for An Oil Pipeline in B.C., July 9 Capital News). Enbridge is still not speaking the truth when they say they are doing everything possible to have the best oil spill response available. They still plan to use the same oil spill response that BP used in 2010 (BP only recovered three per cent of the oil).
But Holder tried to allay those fears, saying the company plans to meet the B.C. government’s demands and said Enbridge will use thicker pipe than used before in the construction, employ “second-to-none” leak-detection methods and sensors to detect leaks or potential for leaks, have the best spill response measures if there is a leak, etc.
Having “the best” is meaningless since none of them work on the ocean or flowing rivers, streams etc. What Enbridge is planning is to use is Corexit which has just been approved by Environment Canada despite the ongoing sickness it caused in 2010.
There actually is better technology now available from our company and last year Enbridge phoned me to discuss utilizing it, but nothing more was done. Nevertheless, there was some progress made independently of Enbridge. Danny Williams, former premier of Newfoundland, invested in our company to fund the construction of a 12m prototype which we delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard last October.
There are now better alternatives to what BP did and what Enbridge plans to do. Government and industry standards are no longer the highest possible environmental standards.
David Prior
CEO, Extreme Spill Technology
Halifax, Nova Scotia
