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SARNIA, ONT. \u2014 The size of a Sarnia, Ont., oil pipeline leak remained unclear days after it was first reported, a nearby First Nation said last week as it issued a call for transparency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aamjiwnaang First Nation is demanding answers about a March 11 spill it said took place along the southern fence line of Suncor\u2019s Sarnia refinery, adjacent to its reserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a news release, the First Nation said reports confirm it led fuel product to leak into the ground and St. Clair River.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no end in sight. No cause of the leak has been reported to Aamjiwnaang, and we still do not know how large of a spill occurred,\u201d read the First Nation\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAamjiwnaang demands answers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suncor said its preliminary investigation indicated the source of the release might be a third party.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sun-Canadian, which operates a refined oil pipeline from Sarnia to the Toronto area, said it was made aware on March 12 of the suspected release and started to investigate its system.<\/p>\n
In a statement, it said \u201ccontainment and recovery measures have been deployed,\u201d but it did not immediately respond to questions about the size or source of the leak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ontario\u2019s regulator confirmed it was investigating a \u201chydrocarbon spill\u201d on March 11 from a licensed Sarnia pipeline. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority said the impacted pipeline section has been shut down and an investigation is ongoing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The mayor of Sarnia, a border-city hub for pipelines moving much of Ontario and Quebec\u2019s crude oil, said he had yet to hear directly from the companies involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mike Bradley said companies were in contact with the fire chief over technical issues. But he noted there has been a lack of public communication on who was responsible and what steps are being taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t had spills in the river here of any substance for quite some time. And we\u2019re very proud of that,\u201d Bradley said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, when you get one like this, it creates the negativity that\u2019s not needed right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ontario\u2019s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks said it was monitoring the cleanup and had been in touch with local communities, including Aamjiwnaang and Walpole Island First Nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ministry said steps were being taken to clean up the spill and ensure there were no impacts to the St. Clair River, which runs along the Ontario-Michigan border.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSuncor and Sun-Canadian Pipeline are also working together to develop a detailed excavation and execution plan. The ministry continues to assess information provided by the companies to determine if compliance actions are required,\u201d it said in a written statement.<\/p>\n
\u00a92026 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n