Alberta couple devastated by oil spill on their property

Alberta couple devastated by oil spill on their property by John Size, June 10, 2012, CTVNews.ca
“There’s not words to describe it and I don’t understand how this can happen with today’s technology,” a visibly shaken Gord Johnston told CTV’s Question Period Sunday. “There are oil pools on the water, there’s a sheen and it’s all the through the grasses, the brush and the water forced it up and through everything,” he said from his property in Sundre, about 100 kilometres southwest of Red Deer. “How do you deal with that? How do you clean that up? You can’t.” … Despite the company’s optimistic tone, the Johnstons believe their health will be adversely affected if they return to live on the land they once called home. “I believe my property is done, like this stuff is full of all kinds of toxins and carcinogens, how can my kids, my grandkids . . . how can we come back to this and live here and swim, fish and boat,” Gord Johnston said. “Where are we going to be in five years? Are we even going to be alive if we stay? I highly don’t think so,” he said as oil-coated rushes behind him wavered in a breeze, but looked more like a row of automobile dipsticks. … “We flew directly to the spot we figured it was and we could see it bubbling out of the Red Deer River,” he said. … Gord Johnston said the company promised security for his property the night of the spill after they decided to leave, but that help never arrived. … “I’m glad people do come down to see this because I want them to see it and I want everybody to see that you shouldn’t have to go through this,” Gord Johnston said. “This is my world here. I didn’t break it, they broke it.” Alberta Premier Alison Redford assured Albertans on Saturday that there will be a full investigation into the leak, and said if there are safety shortfalls the government will make changes.