Contaminated soil found near pipeline in Mount Robson Provincial Park

Local Journalism Initiative

June 27, 2024 at 2:38 p.m.·2 min read

Trans Mountain pipeline workers found soil with a historical contamination of petroleum hydrocarbons – a generic term for the crude oil through the Trans Mountain Mainline – in Mount Robson Provincial Park earlier this month. The company has completed excavation to remove contaminated soil, but some residual contamination remains, Trans Mountain Media Relations told The Goat.After discovering the contaminated soil, Trans Mountain notified BC Parks and sent a notice of contamination to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), the federal body responsible for regulating pipelines.

According to the notice, workers discovered the historical contamination while remediating another, more minor oil release from the pipeline.

The recently discovered contamination comprised about 10 cubic metres of soil, according to the notice of contamination. In an email to The Goat, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said the Fraser River was less than 30 metres away from the contaminated site. Trans Mountain is required by the CER and BC Spills to ensure the water is not contaminated, but when asked, the company did not provide details on its plan to prevent contamination of the river.

In an email to The Goat, CER media relations confirmed that Trans Mountain is responsible for addressing the contamination in accordance with the Polluter Pay Principle. Under this principle, companies are responsible for covering any costs arising from spills on their pipelines when they spill is their fault.

“Trans Mountain will be the one to assess, manage and remediate this contaminated site. The CER will oversee their progress,” the CER’s media relations team wrote. “We require annual updates and meet with Trans Mountain regularly as part of our compliance program to ensure contaminated sites are moving through the remediation process.”

Trans Mountain media relations said the company will manage the contamination in accordance with the CER’s Remediation Process Guide. The company was unable to confirm when the historical contamination occurred before being discovered earlier this month.

“Trans Mountain is planning to conduct further environmental site assessment activities to delineate the historical contamination to facilitate development of an appropriate management strategy for the site,” they wrote.

The company did not comment on the source or cause of the historical contamination.

Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Rocky Mountain Goat

The Canadian Press
Rainforest animal called a kinkajou rescued from dusty highway rest stop in Washington state
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Why did the kinkajou cross the road? And what's a kinkajou, anyway?
CNN
How to survive a shark attack – or better yet, avoid one entirely
You are incredibly unlikely to be attacked by a shark. But if you are that very rare person who is, here’s what to do when a shark goes after you.
Business Insider
EV charging is so bleak in the US that 46% of owners are considering going back to gas-powered cars
Nearly half of EV owners in the US are considering switching back to a gas-powered car, with a majority citing charging as the reason.
The Canadian Press
For India's garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat
JAMMU, India (AP) — The putrid smell of burning garbage wafts for miles from the landfill on the outskirts of Jammu in a potentially toxic miasma fed by the plastics, industrial, medical and other waste generated by a city of some 740,000 people. But a handful of waste pickers ignore both the fumes and suffocating heat to sort through the rubbish, seeking anything they can sell to earn at best the equivalent of $4 a day.
CBC
Metro Vancouver directors to elect new chair amid board tension
The 41 directors who represent the 21 municipalities, one electoral area, and one treaty First Nation in Metro Vancouver will determine a new chair to lead them on Friday after the previous chair, Delta Mayor George Harvie, was removed as his city's regional representative by his own council.The election of a new chair comes at a tense time for the Metro Vancouver Regional District — which is responsible for drinking water, sewage, regional parks and some housing — as it faces public backlash ov
Popular Mechanics
Toyota Is Building a Strange ‘Living Laboratory’ That 360 People Will Call Home
For four years, Toyota has been constructing a futuristic urban experiment in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Now we’ll see if it actually works.
Global News
Scaled down marineland opens without rides, animals
Marineland Canada is open again and some well-known attractions, like roller coasters and some animal exhibits, will not be an option for visitors. Sean O'Shea reports.
The Canadian Press
Pair of giant pandas from China arrive safely at San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two giant pandas from China have safely arrived in Southern California, where they will be cared for as part of an ongoing conservation partnership, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Friday.
CBC
Future of some rural Yukon waste transfer stations still up in the air
Some people in Yukon's unincorporated communities say they feel the territorial government is not hearing them, as it works to overhaul solid waste services in the territory.Part of the territory's modernization plan for waste management entails closing rural transfer stations in Keno City, Braeburn, Johnson's Crossing and Silver City, to direct more money and resources to hiring employees and improving services at dump sites in larger jurisdictions.The government recently released a report summ
BBC
Wildlife smugglers 'freer to offend' after police cuts
A top police wildlife crime unit tackling global smuggling is to be effectively axed, the BBC learns.
BBC
'Do not drink water' warning could end in July
Thames Water issued a water safety alert in May, after a previous petrol station leak.
BBC
Electric car battery charges in under five minutes in track test
The charging time is much quicker than even the fastest-charging batteries currently on the market.
The Canadian Press
As end looms for Calgary water restrictions, mayor warns daily usage way too high
CALGARY — Calgary's mayor says residents have blown past the daily threshold the city has set to keep water service going amid a conservation crisis.
CNN
Rescuers make progress after more than 100 Atlantic white-sided dolphins stranded off Cape Cod, Massachusetts
After more than 100 dolphins were found stranded off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the numbers had dwindled down to between 10 to 20 dolphins circling in the harbor by Saturday morning following a 12-hour rescue effort by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a spokesperson said.
Insider Monkey
The Wealthiest Person in Austria
We recently compiled a list of the 9 Wealthiest People in Austria and in this article, we will look at the richest person in Austria. Austria’s Economic Outlook and Its Strong Transnational Ties Austria is home to a well-developed economy, welcoming foreign direct investments significantly in technology and R&D. The country offers a high living standard […]
Sacramento Bee
Venomous stingrays are swimming off California coast. Here’s how to avoid getting stung
How does it feel to get stabbed in the foot by a stingray? “Pretty awful,” one expert says.
The Conversation
Five ways to improve marine conservation around Britain
Although marine conservation around Britain has shown some success, many of the tools that are in use today are irrelevant, or missing entirely.
Futurism
Startups Working on Using the Ocean as Huge Waste Dump for CO2 to Save Earth From Climate Change
Flow State Our fight against climate change is getting desperate. We may be on our way to a renewables-powered future, but until then, immediate solutions are needed to contend with soaring temperatures and rising sea levels. That has scientists considering ambitious large-scale projects to engineer the climate in our favor, such as reducing the sunlight […]
Hello!
Michael Schumacher's heartbreaking health situation: reclusive life and everything we know
Formula One legend and former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher, 55, has lived a reclusive life with his family away from the glare of the spotlight since his skiing accident in 2013…
The Canadian Press
A private call of top Democrats fuels more insider anger about Biden's debate performance
NEW YORK (AP) — A sense of concern is growing inside the top ranks of the Democratic Party that leaders of Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee are not taking seriously enough the impact of the president’s troubling debate performance earlier in the week.

Latest Stories