NTSB Press Release

National Transportation Safety Board

Peter Knudson

July 10, 2012

WASHINGTON - Pervasive organizational failures by a pipeline operator along with weak federal regulations led to a pipeline rupture and subsequent oil spill in 2010, the National Transportation Safety Board said today.

On Sunday, July 25, 2010, at about 5:58 p.m., a 30 inch-diameter pipeline (Line 6B) owned and operated by Enbridge Incorporated ruptured and spilled crude oil into an ecologically sensitive area near the Kalamazoo River in Marshall, Mich., for 17 hours until a local utility worker discovered the oil and contacted Enbridge to report the rupture.

The NTSB found that the material failure of the pipeline was the result of multiple small corrosion-fatigue cracks that over time grew in size and linked together, creating a gaping breach in the pipe measuring over 80 inches long.

"This investigation identified a complete breakdown of safety at Enbridge. Their employees performed like Keystone Kops and failed to recognize their pipeline had ruptured and continued to pump crude into the environment," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "Despite multiple alarms and a loss of pressure in the pipeline, for more than 17 hours and through three shifts they failed to follow their own shutdown procedures."
Clean up costs are estimated by Enbridge and the EPA at $800 million and counting, making the Marshall rupture the single most expensive on-shore spill in US history.

Over 840,000 gallons of crude oil - enough to fill 120 tanker trucks - spilled into hundreds of acres of Michigan wetlands, fouling a creek and a river. A Michigan Department of Community Health study concluded that over 300 individuals suffered adverse health effects related to benzene exposure, a toxic component of crude oil.

Line 6B had been scheduled for a routine shutdown at the time of the rupture to accommodate changing delivery schedules. Following the shutdown, operators in the Enbridge control room in Edmonton, Alberta, received multiple alarms indicating a problem with low pressure in the pipeline, which were dismissed as being caused by factors other than a rupture. "Inadequate training of control center personnel" was cited as contributing to the accident.

The investigation found that Enbridge failed to accurately assess the structural integrity of the pipeline, including correctly analyzing cracks that required repair. The NTSB characterized Enbridge's control room operations, leak detection, and environmental response as deficient, and described the event as an "organizational accident."

Following the first alarm, Enbridge controllers restarted Line 6B twice, pumping an additional 683,000 gallons of crude oil, or 81 percent of the total amount spilled, through the ruptured pipeline. The NTSB determined that if Enbridge's own procedures had been followed during the initial phases of the accident, the magnitude of the spill would have been significantly reduced. Further, the NTSB attributed systemic flaws in operational decision-making to a "culture of deviance," which concluded that personnel had a developed an operating culture in which not adhering to approved procedures and protocols was normalized.

The NTSB also cited the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's weak regulations regarding pipeline assessment and repair criteria as well as a cursory review of Enbridge's oil spill response plan as contributing to the magnitude of the accident.

The investigation revealed that the cracks in Line 6B that ultimately ruptured were detected by Enbridge in 2005 but were not repaired. A further examination of records revealed that Enbridge's crack assessment process was inadequate, increasing the risk of a rupture.

"This accident is a wake-up call to the industry, the regulator, and the public. Enbridge knew for years that this section of the pipeline was vulnerable yet they didn't act on that information," said Chairman Hersman. "Likewise, for the regulator to delegate too much authority to the regulated to assess their own system risks and correct them is tantamount to the fox guarding the hen house. Regulators need regulations and practices with teeth, and the resources to enable them to take corrective action before a spill. Not just after."

NTSB Media Contact:
Office of Public Affairs
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20594
(202) 314-6100
Peter Knudson

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Enbridge Oil Spill, Breaking News

Grant G

$800 million US dollars and it still needs dredging, oops, actually, it`s over a $billion and they`re still trying to clean up their mess.

I would like to remind you that the Kalamazoo River rupture in 2010 is in a populated area, with access, infrastructure, roads and services, Enbridge`s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, the one Christy Clark just flip-flopped on and now approves of, even before the NEB has delivered the verdict, and even knowing none of the 5 conditions have been met, mainly because you can`t contain or clean up spilled bitumen and you can`t restore the world famous inside passage and Haida Gwaii once soaked in bitumen, everything dies, birds, whales, fish, herring spawn, kelp and crabs, and then finally...Spirit.

Look at the damage from a small pipeline in a populated area, there are no passerbys where Enbridge plans to lay pipe, only mountains, only bear, elk, trees and lets don`t forget salmon, this ridiculous proposal by Enbridge, this dual condensate pipe and bitumen pipe combo will have to cross over 800 rivers and streams including major tributaries that are the Salmon lifeblood of our sustainable commercial fishery, Supertankers having to traverse the 3rd most dangerous waterway in the world, these oil laden tankers carry not a million gallons but 2 million barrels, that spilled in Douglass channel would spell the end to our coast, the losses of wildlife would be in millions, the area would never recover, especially with continued oil movement, you see people they wouldn`t stop, once spoiled why stop, you can`t break the same egg twice..People forget that, the ridiculous proposal is targeting the greatest nature reserve in the world, pristine, the Great Bear rain forest, if we can`t stop a pipeline and oil port at Haida Gwaii we won`t stop pipelines anywhere, just close your eyes..

Perhaps you missed this.,..A couple of months back The Province newspaper ran a little contest, they asked their readers to choose British Columbia`s Greatest Natural Treasure

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2013/09/26/vote-now-for-the-7-natural-wonders-of-b-c/

They gave readers dozens of choices, and I wasn`t surprised when the people of British Columbia chose as our Greatest Natural Treasure.......

Haida Gwall

http://www.theprovince.com/travel/Province+readers+pick+Haida+Gwaii+spot+Seven+Wonders/9023588/story.html

Imagine that, Haida Gwaii and the Great Bear Rain Forest, British Columbian`s chosen Greatest Natural Treasure under assault from Stephen Harper, Enbridge and now Christy Clark.

This is the ball-game people, if Christy Clark, Allison Redford and Stephen Harper get Enbridge`s pipeline and super-tanker port built next to Haida Gwaii and the Hecate Strait, the place British Columbians find most treasured, pristine, teeming with wild evolution on full display, when we know Alberta bitumen sinks, we know it can`t be cleaned up in water, ...The Kalamazoo River needs 30 miles dredged, you can`t dredge salmon streams without destroying their spawning gravel, no technology exists to clean up bitumen in water and even Enbridge admits that.., moving oil tankers through the 3rd most dangerous waterway in the world where hurricane force winds and 15 meter seas are yearly numerous..How do you respond to an ocean spill and wounded tanker with 30, 40 foots waves with wind blowing 100 mph...

We might as well bend over and lube...if we can`t stop a pipeline and oil port at Haida Gwaii we won`t stop pipelines anywhere, just close your eyes amd lube..

The Kalamazoo Enbridge pipeline rupture was in 2010, it`s now 2013......almost 2014 and..

I did have "Breaking News"in the title..Nomember 6th/2013

Seems like our mainstream media ..Global, CKNW, Vancouver Sun, The Province might have noticed the below new release, considering all the coverage they are giving to the "Frosty" now toasty warm relationship between Allison Redford and Christy Clark plus endless chatter about "paving the way for heavy oil pipelines" with this announcement, we are talking Enbridge and the below story should be told,

.Grant G

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8:42 am

Wed November 6, 2013

Enbridge will miss deadline to finish cleaning up 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill

By Steve Carmody

An oil pipeline company will miss the EPA’s year-end deadline to complete its cleanup of the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill.

More than 800 thousand gallons of crude leaked from a pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy. The spill fouled more than 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River.
In March, federal regulators gave Enbridge until December 31st to finish removing the remaining submerged oil in the river.

“We clearly can not accomplish all of that in the remaining weeks of 2013,” says Jason Manshum, an Enbridge spokesman. He blames the company’s difficulty in getting a local permit for a dredge pad near the Morrow Lake delta.   The company wanted to dump sludge from the river on the pad site.    People and businesses near the site fought against it.

Manshum says now work will need to continue next year near Morrow Lake.
“Now when you isolate just Kalamazoo County and you look at (Morrow Lake) and the delta…clearly there was a setback in the late summer when we could not use the adjacent piece of property for a dredge pad site,” says Manshum.

Manshum expects cleanup work on the rest of the river will be done by the EPA’s deadline.
Enbridge has spent more than a billion dollars cleaning up the 2010 oil spill.
Last night, the Kalamazoo Board of Commissioners agreed to let Enbridge use part of a county park as part of the company's plan to dredge a section of the river near Morrow Lake.

Enbridge still needs approval from the EPA and the local township before the work can begin.
Time is also an issue. The work can only test place until ice starts forming on the river.   That may only give cleanup crews a few weeks to complete even this small project.

http://michiganradio.org/post/enbridge-will-miss-deadline-finish-cleaning-2010-kalamazoo-river-oil-spill

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Watch and hear Christy Clark say the complete opposite about pipelines before and during the run up to the election, in other words she lied to get votes....Watch the video, it is utterly shocking.

Normally I don`t care when politicians lie and or Christy Clark lies, but when it comes to British Columbia`s soul, the engine that drives our environment, lose the salmon we lose our eagles, the bears, even the trees are nurtured by our salmon, we can`t break the chain which means we can`t risk the chain, which means Enbridge`s assurances and promises aren`t worth a hill of beans when Haida Gwaii and Hecate Strait is layered in tar..

Breathtaking video on The Great Bear Rain Forest below

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Exxon Valdez Spill Facts

Supertanker Exxon Valdez, second newest in fleet, 984-feet,
24 Mar 1989, 9:12 p.m. ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Calm seas, clearly marked maps
Uncertified 3rd mate Gregory Cousins at helm
Capt Joseph Hazlewood had been drinking heavily & was resting
11 million gallons of crude oil spilled
Still (2007) largest oil spill in US history
Wind & current carried spill to 1,500 miles of shoreline
Dead: 500,000 birds (90 species), including 150 bald eagles
4,500 sea otters
14 killer whales

Salmon, herring, clams, mussels, seaweed
No human life lost, though 4 deaths associated with cleanup
Immeasurable toll on tourism & fishing industry

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Enbridge tried to hide spilled bitumen under grass in Michigan..

Enbridge attempted to hide bitumen under sand

After Enbridge was caught Enbridge went for the public intimidation route.

And all can say is, no more, enough is enough with these political games, we the people will never embrace the Enbridge northern gateway pipeline, there will be a major tanker spill, there will be inland pipeline ruptures, corrosion, landslides, earthquakes, human errors you name it..bitumen will be spilled..

Enbridge themselves admit spills will occur, remember, if Enbridge`s Northern Gateway pipeline got built, and if a major Kalamazoo event happens, the pipeline wouldn`t shut down, they would pipe more oil and spill again, this isn`t you get one chance and one chance only to ship/pipe oil, once built oil will move no matter what the damage caused, you can`t break the same egg twice.

I implore you to watch and listen to the below eye awakening look into our British Columbia soul.

Created by K Eriksen

Music by Adele

"Eyes are placed in front because it`s more important to look ahead than back"

I present you.....

Enbridge pipeline-Pound Sand