Heavy equipment operators are removing contaminated soil from a farm field north of Virden, Man., but it’s not an oil spill, says a provincial spokesperson.
Earlier this week, a western Manitoba resident took photos of excavators working on agricultural land near Virden.
The photographer suspected it was an oil spill cleanup, but a Manitoba Energy and Mines spokesperson said the operators were removing soil contaminated with salt water.
“On Jan. 27 … Corex Resources reported a 120 cubic metre salt-water spill, caused by the failure (a pin-hole leak) in a cement-lined water injection line located at 4-11-11-26 WPM,” the spokesperson noted in an email.
Read Also
Alberta Crop Report: Rains in the south, dryness in the north
Rain fell onto the southern half of Alberta last week, while hot and dry conditions persisted in the northern half, according to the province’s crop report released on July 18.
”The injection line was subsequently isolated and shut in, and cleanup immediately started on the spill site, which covered 1.16 hectares (2.7 acres).”
Contaminated snow from the spill has been transported to a containment site, where it will be melted and disposed. Contaminated soil has been hauled to a “licensed oilfield waste disposal site.”
The Manitoba Surface Rights Association, which represents landowners in the province’s oil patch, have been lobbying the government for stricter regulations on petroleum companies.
Last winter, an underground flow line from a well broke on farmland near Cromer, Man. An estimated 100,000 litres leaked out of the pipe and onto the soil. Most local residents and Manitobans weren’t aware of the accident because the provincial government doesn’t maintain a website with oil spill information.
The Saskatchewan government posts an updated list of all reported spills in the province on a website, with data on the company, the location, the substance and an estimated volume.
Doyle Piwniuk, MLA for Arthur-Virden, had not heard about the spill March 18, even though it occurred in January.
He said communication is essential when it comes to petroleum spills.
“I believe there should be awareness anytime there is a spill … (so) we learn from our past mistakes,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing is the communication between, when it comes to agriculture and the oil industry … and Water Stewardship (Manitoba Conservation)…. The current government needs to work with all three departments very closely, making sure the communication between all three is done properly.”
The provincial spokesperson said the cleanup is progressing, and backfilling will begin soon.
“(An) investigation into the cause of the spill continues and the results of the investigation may require preventative actions on the part of the company.”
