SFU research says Northern Gateway underestimates risk of oil spills

VANCOUVER – A study from Simon Fraser University says Northern Gateway Pipelines is drastically underestimating the likelihood of oil spills from the project.

The study by Tom Gunton, director of the resource and environmental planning program, says the risk analysis submitted by the company to a federal review panel has many deficiencies.

Gunton’s analysis says the likelihood of a tanker spill ranges from one every 23 years to one every 196 years — higher than the one every 250 years estimated by Enbridge (TSX:ENB).

It says a significant oil spill at the tanker terminal that would be built in Kitimat, B.C., as part of the project is possible once every 15 to 41 years, compared to the company estimate of once every 62 years.

And there are likely to be 15 to 16 pipeline spills a year on land, compared to Enbridge’s estimate of one every two years, says the study by Gunton, a former deputy minister of environment for a provincial NDP government.

The review panel weighing the pipeline is expected to wrap up the questioning phase of hearings in Prince Rupert this week, and final arguments will begin in Terrace in June.