Extended interviews and background
Jeff Dereniwski on the government’s spring cleanup plan
Jeff Dereniwski, Environmental Protection Officer for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, explains the government’s plans for 2017 cleanup of Husky’s oil spill.
Jeff Dereniwski explains the monitoring process after Husky’s oil spill
Jeff Dereniwski explains the monitoring process after Husky’s oil release.
Ricardo Segovia on Husky’s post spill communications
Ricardo Segovia, a hydrogeologist with E-Tech International, describes Husky’s lack of communication with the public about its oil release into the North Saskatchewan River in July of 2016.
Ricardo Segovia explains results of downstream samples
Ricardo Segovia explains the results he found downstream after the Husky oil spill.
TIMELINE OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE SPILL ACCORDING TO HUSKY ENERGY AND THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
| DATE | HUSKY ENERGY | GOVERNMENT OF SASKATCHEWAN |
| JULY 20 | – At approximately 8 p.m. the pipeline monitoring system indicated pressure anomalies as several segments of the pipeline system were being returned to service. As a precaution, crews were dispatched along the gathering system and did not identify a leak (on July 20) – As a further precaution, aerial surveillance was also organized overnight to fly the length of the pipeline at the first available daytime opportunity. | – Based on an analysis of the operating data, the investigators have concluded that the leak began on July 20, the day before the discovery of the spill. |
| JULY 21 | – We decided as a further precaution to start safe shutdown procedures at about 6 a.m- The valves on either side of the river shut in automatically as a part of the shutdown procedures.- Subsequently, on Thursday morning (July 21) we received reports regarding a sheen on the river. |
Based on a comparison of Govt of Saskatchewan and Husky Energy public communications.
Unanswered questions
by Rebbeca Marroquin
To Husky Energy:
1. Where is the “gathering system” located?
2. How many crew members were dispatched along the gathering system, and what did they do?
3. On July 20, at exactly what time were crew members dispatched along the gathering system? It must have been after 8:00 p.m, after Husky Energy received pressure anomalies from the pipeline monitoring system. If the leak occured on July 20, as the government concluded, how would ground crew members have missed a leak of this size?
To the Government of Saskatchewan:
5. How did you come to the conclusion that the leak occured on July 20?
6. Follow-up question: At exactly what time on July 20 was the leak detected?