Suncor pipeline spill north of Fort McMurray under investigation

The Alberta Energy Regulator is investigating a pipeline spill early Friday morning at a Suncor oilsands facility north of Fort McMurray.

Suncor spokesperson Erin Rees said the company's leak detection system sent out a notification about 3 a.m. Friday about a pipeline atthe oilsands base camp.

Rees said the companyshut down the pipeline as soon as it could, andtemporarily closeda bridge.

Energy regulator spokesperson Jordan Fitzgerald saidthe spill involved diluent,a petroleum product used to dilute crude bitumenfor easier pipeline transport.

Suncor told the AER that 20 cubic metres ofdiluent equivalent to20,000 litresleakedfrom the pipeline, Fitzgerald said.The site is about26 kmnorth of Fort McMurray.

"Suncor activated its emergency response plan and has shut in and isolated the pipeline," said Fitzgerald. "The release has been contained to Suncor's lease site and cleanup is underway.

"The release caused an unknown amount of diluent to spray on grass, leaves and brush located on Suncor's lease site."

Safest form of transport

Alberta Premier RachelNotleyaddressedthe spill at a news conference inWhitehorse, where she wasattending a premiers' conference.

Shesaid the spill doesn't change the fact that pipelines arethe safest way to transport oil.

"The key is to ensurethat weincorporatethe safest mechanisms possible, the highest standards in terms of pipelinesafetyand pipelinemonitoring, as well as the highest standard in termsofcleanup," saidNotley.

"The factof the matter is, if the spill hadoccurredon rail there might well have beeninjuries. In everything that you do there are risks, but I would suggest overall the risks are low."

AER officials are at thesite monitoring the cleanup.

No evacuations or injuries occurred as a result of the spill. The cause is unknown.