Pro-pipeline supporters have attacked the transportation of oil by rail after a spill in western Manitoba on Saturday following a train derailment.
Canadian National Railway said in a statement that 37 cars carrying crude left the tracks early in the morning near St-Lazare, just east of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba boundary.
The railway said there was “a partial leak” of crude and it was not known how much oil had been spilled.
Later in the afternoon, spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said the leak had been contained and none of the spilled oil made it into the nearby Assiniboine River.
Train derailment in St Lazaro, MB. 40 cars left the tracks. Cars contain oil. pic.twitter.com/FFqkwgBptj
— Calidon (@CalidonLeasing) February 16, 2019
It just so happened that a pro-pipeline gathering was taking place in nearby Moosomin, Sask., at the same time.
Those attending the rally jumped on the opportunity to argue that pipelines are safer than railways.
“If you’ve got trains, you’re going to have derailments,” said Barry Lowes, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Ellice-Archie, Man., which surrounds St-Lazare.
Lowes, who attended the pro-pipeline rally on Saturday, said “quite a bit” of oil had spilled and there was a foul smell in the area.
“I could see [the rail cars] off the track. I could see machinery working down there,” said Lowes, noting that one farmer lives close to the derailment.
He said it’s not the first derailment in the community: in 1991, about 400 residents of St-Lazare fled their homes when a train derailment spilled dangerous chemicals.
Lowes told the rally he got the news about Saturday’s wreck when the community’s fire chief phoned him.
“When I got up in this morning at five o’clock to feed my cows, I did not think I’d be on this stage,” Lowes said.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who also spoke at the pro-pipeline rally, told reporters the derailment backs up the rally’s message that oil is best transported by pipeline.
“This does underscore the importance of the proper approval and regulatory process, so that we are actually able to ensure that we get that energy product in pipelines — not only for safety, but for economic reasons as well as environmental reasons,” Moe said.
With files from the Canadian Press
