Oil spill on traditional Duncan land

The Duncan First Nation is concerned about two oil spills on traditional land where members hunt. Signs of a spill from Keyera Resources pipeline were identified on Sept. 12 and Duncan First Nation notified on Sept. 21. As the reserve is 200 km from the spill in the Chinchaga watershed, Duncan was not on the first-notice list for the oil company. A pinhole leak was identified as the cause of the spill on two hectares of land while the leak on a one hectare site north has not yet been determined. Jessica Potter, spokesperson for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, said ongoing clean-up will depend on the weather and condition of the land. She said that a tributary on the south parcel was not flowing and there is no concern about groundwater contamination. The areas of the oil spills are wooded Crown land. “Oil spills damage and harm the environment, our people and their Treaty rights. We expect Alberta to act in a responsible way to ensure that the thousands of kilometers of pipeline running through our lands can be operated safely,” said Duncan Chief Don Testawich, in a news release.