Heather Wright/The Independent

Jet fuel is once again moving from Sarnia to Toronto as the Technical Safety Standards Association has given Sun-Canadian pipelines the green light to restart its pipeline.

March 11, Suncor reported a sheen on the St. Clair River. The company said it was a hydrocarbon spill. March 13, the company said the release may have been from a third-party pipeline owned by Sun-Canadian Pipelines. The pipeline, built in 1953, transports gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and kerosene to London, Hamilton and Toronto.

Clean up crews from Eastern Canada Response Corporation have been on scene since the leak was detected.

TSSA Vice President of Communications, Alexandra Campbell, said a small leak was found. “It was found that a 1.6‑millimetre pinhole caused by external corrosion was the source of the leak,” she said in an email to The Independent. About 400 litres of fuel were released.

“The operator has implemented a temporary repair that is compliant with the oil and gas pipelines code. Sun Canadian Pipeline will be submitting a proposal to TSSA for approval of a permanent repair.”

Campbell says TSSA gave the green light to restart the pipeline April 3. “We understand with that approval, the pipeline was restarted over the weekend.”

“TSSA will be conducting an audit of the pipeline in the coming year,” she added.

Aamjiwnaang First Nation Chief Janelle Nahmabin and council said in a statement they were “dismayed” the TSSA allowed the restart without “addressing the Nation’s concerns or responding to our recent communications.”

Nahmabin tells The Independent the community is concerned about the age and condition of the many pipelines going through the community. Nahmabin wants Aamjiwnaang to be part of the conversations when Sun-Canadian puts together its long-term plan for the pipeline. 

“We expect strong regulatory and industry safeguards to protect the health of our lands, water and people,” said the community’s council in a statement.

And Nahmabin says it is not “anti-industry” to make sure the community is aware of what is flowing through the pipes and what condition the pipelines are in. It’s something, she says every community deserves to know.  

This weekend, clean up equipment could still be see at the site.  The TSSA says the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is monitoring the clean up effort. The MECP did not reply to questions about the clean up by press time.