Progress being made on oil spill cleanup at Gretna Cemetery

Cleanup efforts of a small oil spill at the Enbridge facility in Gretna are expected to continue into the summer. 

A mechanical issue back in February resulted in about 2 cubic metres of crude being released. While the company said most of the product was contained to the site, a small amount misted offsite to the cemetery across the street.

In an email update provided to PembinaValleyOnline this week, Enbridge noted a majority of the crude has already been cleaned up and, with the arrival of spring, crews are now primarily focused on dealing with the product that landed on the trees.

According to Enbridge, that work involves laying a special impermeable fabric under the trees in order to protect the soil below. That fabric is being held down with straw bales rather than pegs in order to minimize ground disturbance, noted the company update. As well, nearby monuments at the cemetery have been wrapped in heavy plastic in order to prevent damage. Deterrents are also in place to ensure wildlife is protected as well.

The company added, environmental monitoring and assessment is ongoing, and officials are providing the regulator and Municipality of Rhineland with regular progress updates.

"Enbridge would like to thank the community for their patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience as this work continues over the summer," stated the email.