Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Pipelines are one of the safest means of transporting large volumes of crude oil, but spills still occur due to the large volumes shipped by Canadian producers and our lengthy network of pipelines (> 23,000 km). Each pipeline crosses many streams and rivers, and spilled oil is often found in river sediments where it may pose a toxicity risk to fish. There are also significant liabilities for the oil industry, due to the high costs of clean-up and the public's concerns about new pipeline development. However, there is a critical lack of knowledge on how spilled oil can be transferred to river sediments, the potential extent of contamination, and the potential impacts on reproduction of fish that spawn in sediments shoals. This research will use advanced techniques in hydraulics, environmental chemistry, and aquatic toxicology to assess whether, and to what extent, oil spilled on water is entrained into sediments by turbulence and downwelling flows. It will show how oil is retained in sediments as oil droplets or coatings on sediments, and whether the components of oil can dissolve into the water that flows through sediments at concentrations toxic to early life stages of trout. The results will suggest practical guidelines and tools to assess and mitigate the risk of oil spills on fish habitat, specifically to identify areas of river sediments that are particularly sensitive to oil contamination, the potential extent of contamination, the impacts on fish and fisheries, and clean-up strategies focused on the most likely areas of contamination. Implementing these tools will promote economic development with environmental protection by predicting where oil will end up if it is spilled into a river, the best strategies for recovering spilled oil, andhow to minimize impacts on fish and fish habitat. The project includes collaborations with Environment Canada agencies involved in research and management of oil spills, and with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, a Canadian company that works with industry to design and protect river crossings by pipelines.