Environmental GRI Performance Indicators
EN23 – Total number and volume of significant spills,
EN24 – Weight of transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally, and
EN25 – Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organization’s discharges of water and runoff.
| Reportable Spills (Company-wide) | |
| 2007 | 65 |
| 2006 | 67 |
| 2005 | 73 |
| 2004 | 69 |
| 2003 | 63 |
Our goal is to prevent all spills and releases from our energy transportation and distribution systems. We carry out spill prevention and detection preventive maintenance programs as part of comprehensive integrity management of our pipelines and facilities. Our communication programs also keep property owners and neighbors along our rights-of-way informed about our system and enlist their help in the prevention, detection and safe response to pipeline spills. When a spill does occur, we routinely conduct a root-cause incident investigation, and review the effectiveness of our response to the incident. We share the lessons we learned through these investigations and reviews within Enbridge, with industry, and with local responders.
Our Impacts
Technically, a reportable spill is one that is large or significant enough that we are required to formally notify a regulatory agency. However, as part of Enbridge’s efforts to continually improve our operations, we record and address even small spills that are not required to be reported.
In the case of spills, Enbridge carries out emergency response procedures to immediately shut down our system, notify government responders, contain the spill and manage potential environmental or safety impacts. We also work closely with landowners, regulatory agencies and other concerned parties to develop remediation and monitoring plans, to collect as much of the substance as possible, and to verify that residual contaminants are appropriately managed.
Our Performance
In 2007, Liquids Pipelines recorded 65 reportable liquid spills totalling approximately 13,760 barrels from our transmission pipelines in Canada and the U.S. (Canada: 36 spills totalling 6,779 barrels, 6,227 of which was from a single incident; U.S.: 23 spills totalling 6,981 barrels).
Our goal is always zero releases or, barring that, to minimize any potential environmental impacts should a release occur. That is why, in addition to rigorous system-wide integrity programs and processes, we have implemented focused programs including the Small Piping Integrity Program and spill containment enhancements.
However, despite our best efforts, in 2007, we experienced the following notable spills:
Near Glenavon, Saskatchewan
On April 15, 2007, Enbridge Pipelines Inc.’s Line 3 failed and released approximately 6,227 barrels of crude oil into a wetland located approximately 1.6 km south of the village of Glenavon, Saskatchewan. Approximately 5,736 barrels of oil were recovered during clean-up activities and re-injected into the Enbridge pipeline system. In total, 6,805 square metres of contaminated water and 13,900 tonnes of contaminated soil were disposed of at approved disposal facilities. To date, soil, groundwater and surface water analysis indicates that all contaminated material has been removed. Reclamation of the spill area was completed in the fall of 2007 and ongoing monitoring will ensure the area is returned to pre-spill conditions.
Near Owen, Wisconsin
In January 2007, a pipeline ruptured and leaked about 1,500 barrels of oil into a farm field. No wetland or drinking water was at risk. Within a week of the spill, Enbridge had thoroughly remediated the site by removing all of the oil and contaminated soil, and received regulatory approval for this work. Within that timeframe, we also repaired the pipeline, and returned it into service.
Near Exeland, Wisconsin
In February 2007, Enbridge experienced an oil release of approximately 4,800 barrels when a contractor working on our Southern Access expansion project inadvertently damaged our Line 4 pipeline. We were able to recover a significant amount of the released oil immediately, and to remove additional amounts by excavating the contaminated soil and disposing of it at an approved site. Although physical site conditions did not enable us to recover the entire amount of released oil during our initial response, we implemented remedial measures to mitigate the environmental impacts at the site, and to restrict the migration of contaminants to a local creek. We are working with regulatory authorities to ensure that the area is fully remediated. As a result of this incident, we have also implemented stringent controls designed to protect existing pipelines from construction activities.
Near Clearbrook, Minnesota
In November 2007, Enbridge experienced a 325-barrel leak during the repair of our Line 3 pipeline. Tragically, the leak resulted in the deaths of two highly valued Enbridge employees: David Mussatti Jr. and Steve Arnovich.
Enbridge made significant efforts to excavate all of the soils impacted by the leak, and a follow-up evaluation of the site in the spring of 2008 confirmed that the cleanup was successful.
Other business units
Gas Transportation experienced four reportable hydrocarbon spills in 2007 for a total volume of 11.75 barrels.
Enbridge Gas Distribution experienced two reportable spills of hydraulic fluid and bentonite drilling fluid in 2007 for a total volume of five barrels.
Monitoring and remediating past actions
Throughout our Canadian and U.S. Liquids Pipeline systems, we conduct programs to assess historic leak sites. Some of these sites have been in existence for more than 50 years and, in many instances, the contamination has resulted from practices that were the standard of the day but are no longer acceptable. We assess historic release locations systematically and take further actions where warranted.
Some examples include:
- In Canada, Enbridge continued to work on delineating, monitoring, and/or remediating 10 historic leak sites. In 2008, we are developing a risk-based approach and assessing all historic leak sites against scientific criteria. This new approach will ensure that we reassess contaminated sites in a priority fashion.
- In the U.S., Liquids Pipelines is assessing historic leaks on all of our systems. In 2007, we evaluated three sites within our Mid-Continent Liquids System and Spearhead Pipeline, with regulatory closure being granted on one of the sites. In 2008, we will be taking more steps. Within the Lakehead System, we will be performing a site evaluation of the final remaining significant historic leak site. Within the Mid-Continent Liquids System and Spearhead Pipeline, we will be performing site visits, additional investigation, and remediation if warranted at selected locations on both systems. In 2009, we will establish a historic leak assessment program for the North Dakota System.
- Our Gas Transportation business’s plant in Springtown, Texas, treats and processes gas, and our plant in Harmony, Mississippi, which is no longer in operation, previously treated and processed gas. Past operations at the plants, before Enbridge ownership, released hydrocarbons, which have been detected in local groundwater. We are currently working with those states’ agencies to aggressively remediate the impact to groundwater. While ongoing monitoring indicates that our efforts are having a positive effect, we will continue to monitor this progress under the supervision of the states and will take any necessary actions should the situation change.