No hydrocarbons found in river after salt water leak, says Husky
FSIN says it is condemning Husky for catastrophe affecting First Nations
Two days after Husky Energy detected a leak associated with oil production, it says testing of the nearby Englishman River has not detected hydrocarbons in the water.
The company said treated salt water from its oil production near Turtleford, Sask., spilled into the nearby Englishman River on Wednesday morning. While no hydrocarbons have been detected yet, environmental testing and monitoring is continuing, said Husky.
But the news of the leak came as an outrage to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which said in a release it was condemning Husky Energy for "yet another catastrophe that directly affects First Nations communities" in Saskatchewan.
Bobby Cameron, chief for FSIN, said that Husky has failed to work with First Nations' recommendations on business matters important to the nations.
"Our traditional land users and knowledge keepers know and have been utilizing these lands and waters for centuries," he said in a statement. "They know the animals and medicines that thrive in these areas and how they are affected when spills like these occur."
The line that leaked is used to transport saline water that comes up to the surface during oil production, according to the company. The treated water was on its way to being disposed before the leak, which happened about 500 metres west of the Englishman River.