Gleniffer Lake safe after spill

Reservoir OK for recreation this weekend

Usually ringing off the hook, the phone of Gleniffer Lake realtor Diane Bender has been silent since a crude oil spill forced the closure of the resort development’s reservoir three weeks ago.

“It’s been very, very slow,” said Bender, who manages property rental business at the resort, usually bustling at this time of year.

On June 7, a section of a pipeline owned by plains midstream Canada leaked up to 475,000 litres of crude oil into the Red Deer River. High river levels sent most of the oil flowing into Gleniffer Lake, a man-made reservoir ringed by resort developments about 75 minutes northwest of Calgary.

Alberta Environment announced on Thursday that Gleniffer Lake’s water quality had tested safe for recreational use and the majority of the reservoir and nearby campgrounds and day-use areas would open for the long weekend.

Plains Midstream said in a statement that the cleanup is going well and that it is working quickly to finish.

“We have hundreds of personnel working daily, including crews to remove debris that should improve the use of the lake,” the company said.

Although cleanup of the shoreline is not yet finished, swimming, boating and shoreline fishing are allowed at the lake save for the southwest corner, where one containment boom remains.

However, the province does not recommend people consume fish from the lake until the fish have been tested.

The reopening is good news for Bender’s long weekend customers, many of whom booked their lakeside rentals for Canada Day well before the oil spill happened.

While Bender is relieved the lake is reopening, she is anxious to know the spill’s long-term impact on her real estate business.

Bender said she is worried the oil spill has left a bad taste in the mouths of potential buyers.

Four years ago, a Pembina pipeline leaked about 20,000 to 32,000 litres of sweet crude into the Red Deer River, which feeds Gleniffer Lake, closing the reservoir for 12 days in mid-June.

“In 2008 I did notice a big difference between income the year before and the year after,” she said. “And the lake was only closed for 10 days.”

Last week, Calgary-based Merchant Law Group launched a class-action lawsuit against Plains Midstream seeking $75 million in damages for residents and business owners affected by the spill.