Environmental Impact of Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Analysis

This essay, submitted by a student, analyzes the environmental impacts of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, focusing on the debate surrounding its construction and operation. The author argues against the expansion, citing concerns about potential oil spills, contamination of water and soil, and the release of greenhouse gases. The essay provides an overview of the pipeline's history, the perspectives of various stakeholders, and the economic benefits cited by proponents. The author supports their position by referencing studies on the effects of pipeline spills on ecosystems, human health, and Indigenous communities. The essay also discusses the role of government and regulatory bodies, concluding that the negative environmental impacts outweigh the economic benefits. The author emphasizes the need for improved safety measures and a reassessment of the project's impact on the environment and the economy.

Geography
Title -Environment impact of the trans mountain pipeline

Thesis Statement:-
In this study, we have to analyze that is Alberta was in favor of the expansion of the
Trans -Mountain pipeline. We are doing an argument on the development of mountain pipeline
and how this pipeline impacts the environment. The scoping review is focused on the
sustainability issues related to the leakage or spills of the surrounding pipelines. I am against the
expansion of the trans-mountain pipeline expansion. In this thesis statement I am doing the
argument against the expansion of Trans -Mountain pipeline.
Introduction:-
In 1953, the trans- mountain Pipeline came into existence. From Alberta to Columbia, it carries
refined products and crude oil. Kinder Morgan Pipeline Corporation aims to expand the pipeline
and enhance its capacity from the 300,000 - 890,000 bbl/d. The enhance pipeline carries heavy
crude oil with a size of 540 kbps. The expansion of pipelines is a controversial study and affected
by British Columbia and Alberta. According to the data of the Abacus, only 68 % of peoples are
in favor of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline buildings, and 32% are not. The Government of Canada
shows sincere interest, and Alberta’s are in support of the expansion of these pipelines (Board,
2013). Environmentalists of British Columbia and Alberta are concerned about environmental
impact due to the pipeline expansion. They said- Favor of expansion is done only for the
economic benefits, which includes job creations and economic growth. Around 70 % of
Canadian believe that the expansion of Pipelines plays a vital role in delivering the energy.
Every-day energy is used, and it plays an essential role in the economy of Alberta. Peoples are
agreed for the pipeline expansion are around 63% and dis-agree around 22%. According to most
Canadian, it delivers a tremendous amount of energy in Canada (Anderson, & Coletto, 2017).

They said-The majority of people admit that pipeline companies of Canada put efforts into the
safe operation for the expansion of the pipeline. This decision of expansion the pipeline is taken
by the Alberta government after measure the several parameters of oil pipeline in 2015. The
construction of pipelines over the previous three years has shifted the market of Alberta. It
increases the market in a positive direction and reached around 67% in Alberta. Differences by
partisanship and generation are noticed when coming to the pipeline expansion. Old age peoples
are more in favor of pipeline expansion as compared to younger people. Alberta is a top oil-
producing area of Canada. The demand for oil has declined in the last ten years. Most people
would like to see the oil demand increases, which is falling over the previous ten years. People of
Alberta believe in the right strategy to build pipelines for needed petroleum resources. Investing
in this sector shifts towards renewable forms of energy. Oil production in Canada was higher in
2012 and continues growing in the coming years. It is expected that oil sands in Canada are
continue growing from 1.8 million to 5 million per day up to 2035. Moving towards this oil
market, new infrastructure has required in the form of the pipelines. In Alberta, the vast majority
of oil increases the market in the pipeline (Conference, 2014). Alberta can fulfill the high
demand for raw materials and energy resources, which helps in the modernizing economy.
The Federal government improved Trans Mountain pipeline expansion by using new
technology on the existing 1,150-kilometre pipeline, which increases the flow rate of oil three
times and will increase the tanker traffic to the Burrard Inlet terminal seven times. The federal
government recently approved this project (Leavitt, 2019).
According to the Lender, The gas and oil worth is billions of dollars in Alberta, which
enhance the Canadian economy. It provides thousands of jobs to the peoples. Trevor Tombe

economist of the University of Calgary said that after many conferences in Canada, jobs from the
pipeline's construction would alter from one year to next. Employment for the peak year would
be around 13,500. It provides the long term benefits which enhance income and productivity
(Leavitt, 2019).
Argument:-
According to Bruce Anderson, In Canada Pipeline, Climate change and energy are the
most political debate issues. How the world is going towards the oil energy. I said - expansion of
the new Trans-Mountain Pipeline will have critical consequences on the environment when these
pipelines cross the parks, industrial lands, agriculture land, pasture, woodlands, industry, and
other places. During pipeline construction spill can destroy the soil productivity and contaminate
the surface water and groundwater. During the construction of pipelines, carbon dioxide gas
released, which harms the environment. From which average global temperature increases.
Government agencies, stakeholders, and private landowners are concerned about agriculture
production due to the expansion of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline. It also harms the unaffordable
housing and rising food prices. From the Alberta people's it is expected to more disruptive
protests if the federal government pushes towards the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline
against the wishes of the Indigenous communities. According to Ms. Callison, Different nations
have a different threshold to how many peoples will agree and what acceptable accommodations
will consider for their concerns (Rabson, 2020). From the recent study of Wilke and Freeman, it
is essential to understand the relation between air quality and pipeline spills, oil leakage, or spill
impact on the quality of the water. I said that – “There is an indirect connection of the air quality

with the illness of the human chronic respiratory”. Heaths of humans are at high risk due to the
dangerous drinking water (Datta & Hurlbert, 2019). In the northern Alberta Peace River
Mainline was exposed on 20 July 2009. This exposed sends around 50 meters long flames into
the air and wipe –out around the two-hectare wooded area. The draft report of this incident in
2011, The National Advisory Board, interprets Canada. Investigating bodies published the final
report
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) news investigates the critical report related to
the trouble-prone of the natural gas pipeline of TransCanada. Final reports are issued by the
Investigating bodies or the Transportation Safety Board, but the reports were not released up to
January 2011.CBC obtains this file by its ongoing pipeline investigation (Hildebrandt, 2014).
The National Energy Board (NEB) delays the report due to the 'administrative error.' According
to the TransCanada, a combination of the coating, construction, and soils require the 'active pipe
integrity programs' for these pipelines. The company tells that new approaches and new
technologies need for destructive pipelines (Oates, 2017).
The Canadian region Alberta transports its energy resources through the pipeline to the
western and eastern seaboards. The used infrastructure pipeline reshapes the landscape and
affects the environment sustainability, drinking water, Indigenous livelihoods during spill leaks.
Human routine activities such as processing, refining, and extracting release the tar pits and oil
seeps into the environment. This crude oil may be spilled on seawater, freshwater, and on land.
1. Volatilization, Evaporation, and dispersion in the air.
2. Overland runoff from the release location to rivers, coastal water areas, streams, outer harbors,
lakes, open-water, wetlands, and sanitary sewers.

3. Groundwater transport, after leaching, adds soil saturates into crude oil (Armour,
Eykelbosh,Lafontaine, & Yole, 2018).
The disperse components of crude oil go further physical and chemical transformation. These
constitute particles interact in the air with the ozone, hydroxyl radicals, and other free radicals in
the atmosphere. This relates to indirect photo-degradation. It includes the dispersion,
Evaporation, dissolution, emulsification, oxidation, sedimentation, and biodegradation—these
processes causing changes and act simultaneously.
In Alberta, at least ten pipelines leaks, in which Plains Midstream pipeline spill near
Little Bu aloff was the most prominent example of a pipeline spill. More than 4.5 million liters
were leaked in 2011 April. Pen growth Energy Corporation pipeline near the Judy Creek in
Alberta was the other more significant spill in Dec 2017, in which around 1.9 million liters leaks.
In 2008 – 2018, twelve significant spills were reported. Many of these spills were connected to
food sources or surface water (Datta & Hurlbert, 2019).

Figure 1:-Pipeline spill in the area of Canada particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan
(Datta & Hurlbert, 2019)
Pipeline spill affects the ecosystem. During pipelines, spills dangerous toxins material
mix with the surface, which transferred to the water, agricultural land, and wetland. It affects the
whole ecosystem, which includes the plants, birds, animals, and humans. Cleaning oil from the
surface (Physical cleanup) direct affects water quality and the regular soil. We have to
understand the threat to wildlife and native species. Pipelines spill impact not only the drinking
water of the Indigenous people but also harms other species such as wildlife habitat and birds,
including their nesting area, food, water, and shelter. It also increases the various toxins in water,
specifically aromatic hydrocarbons. This hydrocarbon dissolved in water very rapidly and kills
non – human species such as fishes and aquatic creatures. Aquatic creature and fishes that lives
all the time in water break down and disappear due to toxin water.

Pipelines leakage raises the severe health issues which are related to the poor drinking
water by many primitive communities. The weakness of the profit-oriented organization and
government analyze that environmental toxins from the pipelines oil leakage have been tracked,
which includes the gene mutagens, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens. These environmental
toxins are directly connected with the compounds which are responsible for human cancer.
It was also asked in the House of Commons that why the report of "Pipeline leakage" was
hidden for five years. In response, Energy minister "Joe Oliver" said he was disturbed by NEB's
failure (Hamilton, 2016). He said, "It was the duty of the National Energy Board to handle it, and
there was an error at their part." He said that the government has now improved safety measures
such as thorough audits, frequent inspections, etc.
I have seen an incident near me- A former Pembina Institute analyst said: "It is quite
likely that public does not know that there are other such similar incidents too." This one stands
out only because of the company involved, its size, and its timings. It undoubtedly seems
suspicious from outside that the report was kept hidden due to an administrative error. If the
report had been out, it would have caught immediate public attention.
In January 2011, TransCanada was negotiating several US safety requests on pipeline
operation, design, and construction on the controversial proposal of Keystone XL. First Nations
community of Chateh (Members of Dene Tha’), about a few KMs away from the site of the
blast, also wanted to understand why the report was not released to date. Baptiste Metchooyeah,
former director of the Dene Tha’ First Nation, said," They should let the public know about these
deficiencies,” “The regulator is not with us, so we have to start saying something about these
incidents."

Conclusion:-
From the above study, it is concluded that the Expansion of Trans pipeline in Alberta has several
benefits and several losses. Expansion of the Trans pipeline has a more negative impact as
compared to positive. I have analyzed several results due to oil pipeline, which has an adverse
effect on the environment.
Overall from the current review, it is analyzed that the Process performed by the NEB
does not resolve the impact of expanded pipelines of oil so that their impact can be reduced on
the environment. Government of Alberta making plans for how the Process can be improved.
Argument related to the pipeline in Alberta in important for the Canadian economy. The
Alberta is producing more and more of its gas and oil and for some time Alberta has been
struggling for the getting the natural resources from sea and from the global market. Therefore
two attempts have done through the United States Enbridge Inc.’s Line 3 expansion and
TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL which are facing the problem of roadblock. From the various
issues now Canada suggests to not add the pipeline on its own territory.
Pipeline in Alberta is important for the industry of Canada so it is requires argument. Pipelines
provide several benefits to the peoples of the Alberta. It not only provides the energy but also
provides wealth across the country. It delivers their jobs and independence energy. Alberta
provided the financial support to the economy so needed to rescue the project.

References:-
Anderson, B. & Coletto, D. (2017). Public Attitudes on Oil, Pipelines, Climate, and Change.
Retrieved from https://abacusdata.ca/public-attitudes-on-oil-pipelines-climate-and-
change/.
Armour, J., Eykelbosh,, A., Lafontaine, M. & Yole, M. (2018). GUIDANCE FOR THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT OF CRUDE OIL INCIDENTS.
Retrieved from http://www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Guidance%20for%20the
%20Management%20of%20Crude%20Oil%20Incidents_EN.pdf.
Board, T. (2013). Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC. Retrieved from
http://transmountain.s3.amazonaws.com/application/V8A_1_of_4_1_TO_4.2.9_MAR_T
RANS_ASSESS.pdf.
Conference, E. (2014). Safety and Security of Energy Pipelines in Canada: A Report to
Ministers. Retrieved from
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/www/pdf/publications/emmc/14-
0177_Pipeline%20Safety_e.pdf.
Datta, R., & Hurlbert, M. (2019). Pipeline Spills and Indigenous Energy Justice. Sustainability,
12(1), 47. doi: 10.3390/su12010047
Hamilton, D. (2016). National Energy BoardReport. Retrieved from
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p80061/114562E.pdf.
Hildebrandt, A. (2014). Pipeline rupture report raises questions about TransCanada inspections
Social Sharing. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pipeline-rupture-report-
raises-questions-about-transcanada-inspections-1.2521959.
Leavitt, K. (2019). The cases for and against approving the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/06/17/the-cases-for-and-
against-approving-the-trans-mountain-pipeline-expansion.html.
Oates, C. (2017). Expanded access to Asia for Alberta industries. Retrieved from
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=468435560587C-FC0C-D970-
C8FE9458EC82825F.

Rabson, M. (2020). Without Indigenous consent for Trans Mountain, expect more confrontation:
lawyer and negotiator. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-
columbia/article-without-indigenous-consent-for-trans-mountain-pipeline-expect-more/.