A recent report has claimed that the spill, which occurred on 20 July, leaked approximately 225 000 litres of heavy crude near and into the North Saskatchewan River, with 210 000 litres of crude being recovered. It also noted that the spill covered 0.04 km2. However, Husky’s report did not identify what caused the spill, which is required under provincial law.
The provincial government revealed that the company had asked for and received a 30-day extension to submit technical reports. Therefore, it will not be clear what caused the incident until mid-November.
According to Doug MacKnight, Assistant Deputy Minister with the province's ministry of the economy, highlighted that it is rare for a company to ask for such an extension. However, he also highlighted that the spill itself was also uncommon and thus requires extensive work to investigate.
"The pipe is located on a slope [and] there's a lot of science in terms of investigating the metallurgic failure, as well as the technical environment in which the pipe is operating. There is a lot of work involved here. The priority is getting a thorough report," MacKnight told reporters during a recent conference call.
