Cleanup efforts underway after northwestern Alberta pipeline spill

EDMONTON- The Alberta government says it still doesn’t know how much leaked from a pipeline spill that took place in northwestern Alberta last week.

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) says the spill happened on June 1, just south of Zama City. ESRD is calling the substance an emulsion of water, oil and other chemicals. But officials say the substance did not reach the Zama River.

Provincial officials say they are working with Apache Corporation to clean up the affected area.

The community of Zama River and surrounding First Nations have been notified, but the province says they are not considered at risk.

The impact to the environment is still unclear and it’s also not known how long the cleanup will take.

Sunday, Greenpeace Canada responded to the spill, calling on the Alberta government to provide more information.

“Why are we only hearing about the spill over a week after it happened? What chemicals were in the pipe? How much was released? When was it first discovered? By whom? And how long did the toxic water leak for? These are all unanswered questions and continue a pattern of silence from the Alberta government on Alberta’s pipeline problems,” Mike Hudeman wrote in a statement.

With files from The Canadian Press.