The terminal of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline in Burnaby, B.C.

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The National Energy Board is investigating a spill of crude oil from the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline in the vicinity of Merritt, British Columbia.

The news of the Kinder Morgan spill comes with B.C. Premier Christy Clark set to discuss pipelines with her Alberta counterpart Alison Redford later this week. Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion plans were a major focus of debate during the recent B.C. election.

Environmental advocates were quick to point to this week’s spill as evidence that the B.C. government should reject Kinder Morgan’s planned “twinning” of the Trans Mountain pipeline. 

“This is yet another reminder that it’s not a matter of if spills will happen but when they will happen,” said Ben West, Tar Sands Campaign Director with ForestEthics Advocacy. “Hopefully we were lucky this time and no toxic tar sands oil was released into the Fraser River or any other salmon bearing streams.”

“There is no such thing as a safe pipeline. Kinder Morgan is trying to make the case that its project is better than Enbridge’s, but neither of these pipelines should be allowed to be built,” said West.