Less than two months after a runaway train loaded with crude oil smashed into the centre of Lac Megantic, Quebec, a Canadian Senate energy committee is ready to release its report on safe hydrocarbon transport.
The report, being made public later today, will discuss best practices for moving products such as diluent, bitumen and crude oil across Canada.
Report set to claim pipelines are safer than rail transport
海角吃瓜网淲e anticipate and we hope that government will accept some of our recommendations which I believe - and I think most people will see -are very, very specific and very powerful,海角吃瓜网� said Deputy Committee Chair Grant Mitchell.
海角吃瓜网淲e think this is a timely report and, certainly in the context of the pipeline debate and Lac Megantic, it will probably have a heightened profile in the interest it receives,海角吃瓜网� Mitchell said. 海角吃瓜网淚t will be of great interest to industry, to regulators and to the government.海角吃瓜网�
The committee started studying pipeline, rail and tanker industry safety regulations back in November 2012. Over the last nine months, senators met with dozens of industry regulators, spill response people and government officials who discussed the current hydrocarbon transport safety regime.
The majority of experts who addressed the committee spoke specifically about pipelines, which were repeatedly touted as the safest way to shuttle oil and gas across the country.
海角吃瓜网 are the consensus
海角吃瓜网淎s far as bulk transportation over long distance, pipelines are clearly the winner. They are more economical by several factors and they are safer by several factors,海角吃瓜网� said National Energy Board engineer Iain Colquhoun when he testified before committee in December 2012.
海角吃瓜网淭he consensus is that pipelines are the safest way to move crude oil long distances; better than rail,海角吃瓜网� echoed John Foran, Director of oil and gas policy and regulatory affairs at Natural Resources Canada. He addressed the committee in February 2013.
During a news conference in Quebec City at the beginning of August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper maintained that pipelines are the safest way to transport energy. Quebec City Mayor R茅gis Labeaume, who joined the Prime Minister for the announcement, said he favours crude pipelines and that 海角吃瓜网渢he fewer trains, the better.海角吃瓜网�
Edited from various sources by