Enbridge Pinata On Rick Mercer Report Spoofs Company's History Of Oil Spills | HuffPost

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'Enbridge Pinata' Explodes In Rick Mercer's Face

Daniel Tencer— The Huffington Post Canada

Should Enbridge get into the pinata business? Rick Mercer seems to think so.

The energy giant behind the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline was the target of a spoof ad on CBC’s “Rick Mercer Report” Tuesday night, featuring an “Enbridge pinata” that explodes at random times and covers anyone nearby with a dark goo that looks suspiciously like oil.

“Planning a pinata party, but tired of the same old ‘okay-here-comes-the-trickle-of-candy?’” Mercer asks in the ad. “Then why not try the pinata that’s guaranteed to surprise?”

The “Enbridge pinata” is seen exploding repeatedly, spraying pinata stuffing and goo in all directions.

“The Enbridge pinata — you never know when it’s going to blow!” the narrator concludes.

The ad is a pretty obvious reference to the recent spate of news about leaks and spills along Enbridge pipelines, and comes as hearings into the Northern Gateway pipeline continue in Alberta.

Enbridge’s reputation took a turn for the worse in July when the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released a scathing review of a spill at an Enbridge pipeline in southwest Michigan. The report stated the company knew beforehand the pipeline had flaws, and its response to the 2010 spill was compared to the “Keystone Kops.” The report cited no fewer than two dozen safety violations.

That report came a month after a spill on Enbridge’s Athabasca pipeline in Alberta, which released 230,000 litres of oil into the environment. Also this summer, an Enbridge pipeline in Wisconsin ruptured, spilling 190,000 litres of oil.

News of the spills has caused a noticeable shift in public opinion against Enbridge’s proposal for a two-way, 1,170-kilometre pipeline between Bruderheim, Alberta and the ocean port at Kitimat, British Columbia. While a majority of Albertans still support the Northern Gateway project, a majority of British Columbians are now opposed to it.

This has been reflected in politicians’ attitudes. B.C. Premier Christy Clarke recently described the Michigan spill as “disgraceful,” while Heritage Minister James Moore, whose riding is in the Vancouver area, said Northern Gateway would fail if Enbridge didn’t change its ways.

Enbridge’s attempts to clean up its reputation have also met with criticism. Last month, environmentalists denounced the company for a video it published which showed the Douglas Channel -- through which ships carrying Northern Gateway oil would have to travel -- without the thousands of potentially dangerous islands that crowd it.

Enbridge said the video was “for illustrative purposes only.”

The company is promising the Northern Gateway will be the safest pipeline in its history.

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Alberta Oil Spills

(01 of11)

(credit:AFP/Getty Images)

June 18, 2012 -- Elk Point(02 of11)

Enbridge Inc.'s Athabasca pipeline leaked an estimated 230,000 litres of oil about 24 kilometres southeast of Elk Point, Alberta.

A member of Greenpeace cleans up a mock oil spill outside the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline office in downtown Vancouver, Wednesday, June 13, 2012. The mock spill was set up by Greenpeace to show the risks of spills similar to the recent one outside of Red Deer, Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward (credit:CP)

June 18, 2012 -- Elk Point(03 of11)

Although the spill didn't leak into any waterways, Energy Resources Conservation Board's Darin Barter said the spill was considered "significant" in size.

"Any amount of crude oil out of a pipeline is significant to us. Obviously we've had a number of pipeline incidents in the past short while and we're monitoring cleanup on them and we have a number of investigations underway." (credit:Alamy)

June 7, 2012 -- Red Deer River(04 of11)

An estimated 475,000 litres of oil spilled from a Plains Midstream Canada pipeline and proceeded to leak into the Red Deer River.

Oil from a pipeline leak coats a pond near Sundre, Alta., Friday, June 8, 2012. Plains Midstream Canada says one of their non-functioning pipeline leaked between 1,000-3,000 barrels of oil. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh (credit:CP)

June 7, 2012 -- Red Deer River(05 of11)

Some of the oil seeped into the Gleniffer reservoir, which some Albertans rely on for drinking water. Plains Midstream Canada trucked in drinking water for those residing near the area. (credit:CP)

May 19, 2012 -- Northwest Alberta(06 of11)

Pace Oil and Gas's waste disposal line leaked about 22,000 barrels of a mixture of oil and water 20 kilometres southeast of Rainbow Lake. The spill was discovered on May 19 by another oil and gas company. (credit:Alamy)

May 19, 2012 -- Northwest Alberta(07 of11)

The oil spill "ranks among the largest in North America in recent years," the Globe and Mail wrote. (credit:Alamy)

June 26, 2011 -- Swan Hills(08 of11)

A pipeline explosion and oil leak at a Pengrowth Energy facility caused a pipeline to leak 500 barrels of light, sweet crude oil into Judy Creek near Swan Hills, Alberta. (credit:Shutterstock)

June 26, 2011 -- Swan Hills(09 of11)

Energy Resources Conservation Board spokesman Darin Barter said the leak was relatively small.

"It's what we would consider a minor spill with 95 per cent of the product coming out of the pipeline being water and five per cent oil," he told CBC. "However, we're taking it very seriously, as is the company." (credit:Alamy)

April 29, 2011 -- Little Buffalo First Nation(10 of11)

Plains Midstream Canada's 45-year-old Rainbow pipeline spilled roughly 28,000 barrels of light crude oil near Little Buffalo First Nation. (credit:Shutterstock)

April 29, 2011 -- Little Buffalo First Nation(11 of11)

Residents, including children, reported incidents of burning eyes, stomach pains, disorientation, nausea and headaches, according to the Assembly of First Nations. (credit:Shutterstock)

Overheard: Northern Gateway Pipeline Hearings

Northern Gateway President John Carruthers(01 of19)

(Sept. 4) - Northern Gateway president John Carruthers argues the pipeline is just as important to Canada as the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Canadian Pacific Railway..."when constructed, [they] laid the foundation for significant benefits for generations of Canadians. Our project is no different." (credit:John Lehmann/Globe and Mail)

Robert Mansell, U of C School of Public Policy(02 of19)

(Sept. 4) - Robert Mansell, academic director of the University of Calgary School of Public Policy, argued the benefits the pipeline could have for Canada. "Just imagine a situation where, if not for Northern Gateway, you had shut in 525,000 barrels per day for one year. That loss works out to $40-million a day, or $14.4-billion per year," he said. (credit:AP)

Leanne Chahley, lawyer for the Alta. Federation of Labour(03 of19)

(Sept. 4) - Leanne Chahley, a lawyer for the Alberta Federation of Labour, questioned the estimated economic gains. "It's still a social science that you're involved in, economics. How much degree of certainty should we give it?" (credit:AP)

Gil McGowan, Alta. Federation of Labour President(04 of19)

(Sept. 4 ) - Albert a Federation of Labour argues the $6-billion line would mean 5% less refinery in Alberta and the loss of 8,000 jobs. "China is in the midst of a building boom in terms of refineries and refining capacity, so our fear is that if our policymakers allow this pipeline to be built we'll end up in a situation where our own homegrown refineries are no longer economic and they'll close down," federation president Gil McGowan said."We'll end up in a situation where we're sending our raw bitumen oil to China and then buying back the refined product." (credit:AP)

John Carruthers, Northern Gateway President(05 of19)

(Sept. 4) - Northern Gateway president John Carruthers on the Enbridge's committment to environmental responsibility: "It involves assessing, in the same objective fashion, and according to the same standards, the information or evidence that has been presented by those who are opposed to the development of our project. And it culminates in approving the project under a framework of conditions that will promote reconciliation over division, and fact over rhetoric." (credit:John Lehmann/Globe and Mail)

John Risdale, B.C. First Nations Chief(06 of19)

(May 2012) - B.C. First Nations leaders travel to the step of the Alberta Legislature to voice their concerns on the environmental damage. "The pipeline route that they have proposed is following the most major river system that we have and when the river is ruined, the people are ruined, the land is ruined," said Hereditary Chief John Ridsdale of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation. (credit:AP)

Terry Lake, B.C. Environment Minister(07 of19)

(Sept. 4) - B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake on how Enbridge plans to exceed world standards in spill prevention. "We certainly want to clarify with Enbridge some of the comments made over $500-million more of safety improvements and what exactly will that mean," Lake says. "In terms of monitoring, in terms of response capability, how can we ensure that any proponent would have to live up to what we consider world class response and mitigation measures." (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

Economist Robert Mansell, U Of C School Of Public Policy(08 of19)

(Sept. 5) - On the chance that the proposed Nothern Gateway pipeline would have a negative effect on central Canada's manufacturing sector: "It is not credible that one could argue this would cause Dutch disease.""Would it do, as has been alleged -- cause the rate of inflation to go up and then force the monetary authorities to tighten the money supply and thereby shrink the economy? The answer is no."Monetary policy is based on what's called the Core Inflation Rate, which excludes the price of food and energy." (credit:Alamy)

Texas-Based Energy Consultant Muse Stancil(09 of19)

(Sept. 5) - In a report submitted to the hearing, Texas-based energy consultant Muse Stancil said the Northern Gateway will have an effect on oil pricing in North America: "It can be expected to have a material effect on the distribution patterns and pricing dynamics for Western Canadian crude, as crude producers for the first time will have a high-volume alternative to their historical markets within North America," said the Muse Stancil report."Northern Gateway allows the Canadian crude producers to both stop selling to their least attractive refiner clients (from a pricing prospective) and reduces their need to ship heavy crude via comparatively expensive rail transport." (credit:Alamy)

Richard Johnston, UBC Political Scientist(10 of19)

Sept. 5 - On the chance the federtal Tories could lose ground in B.C. due to unfriendly policies such as support of pipelines to the west coast: "Among the risks to their base, I would put Northern Gateway highest," Johnston said."The risk/benefit ratio (for B.C.) is massively unfavourable in itself and if the government were to force the issue pre-emptively, they would add an additional dimension to the debate, singling out one province for ill-treatment, rather like the NEP and Alberta. I expect Conservative MPs are worrying about this aloud." (credit:AP)

Elisabeth Graff, B.C. government lawyer(11 of19)

(Sept. 7) - "Are you willing to acknowledge this is a complex organizational structure that limits the liability of a corporate giant that definitely would have sufficient funds?" she asked. "What we're left with is an entity which you tell us has the financial resources necessary to cover any type of spill, but we're still doubting whether that is possible.""No, I just fundamentally can't accept that," replied Mr. Carruthers."Because of the investment, everyone would want to make sure there's proper funding available in case of a spill," he said. (credit:Alamy)

Janet Holder, Enbridge senior executive(12 of19)

(Sept. 7) - "We're doing everything in our power to mitigate against a spill.""Believe me, Enbridge doesn't want a spill. It's not what we're in the business for. We're in the business of moving very safely, environmentally sound and in a sustainable way, product from one spot to another." (credit:Alamy)

Geoff Plant, B.C.'s head lawyer for the hearings(13 of19)

(Sept. 7) - "The question [is] whether Enbridge is actually capable of getting the kind of insurance to ensure against the risk of liability," on whether the insurance is there should an oil spill happen. (credit:Alamy)

Barry Robinson, lawyer for three environmental organizations(14 of19)

(Sept. 8) - "If free market economies aren't at play, where's the economic benefit?" asked Robinson about the economic effects of the hypothetical possibility of Chinese interests buying control of the Northern Gateway pipeline. (credit:Getty)

Kelowna resident James MacGregor(15 of19)

(Spet. 6) - The Avaaz petition "No Enbridge Tankers/Pipeline in BC Great Bear Rainforest" was started by James MacGregor and has since passed 10,000 signatures. "BC's entire Great Bear Rainforest, its wildlife and the livelihoods of coastal First Nations are all at great risk if Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline is approved," he said. "I know I'm not the only one out there speaking up about the pipeline, but I felt like I couldn't sit back and do nothing."(Source: Vancouver Observer) (credit:Flickr: ankakay)

Hana Boye, lawyer for Haisla First Nation(16 of19)

(Sept. 17) - On who could end up with ownership stakes: "If we don't know who these investors are, we're not able to determine if they're financially viable, if they're market-force driven or if it's in the interest of Canadians," she said. (credit:Flickr: LizMarie_AK)

Chris Peters, Engineer(17 of19)

(Sept. 17)- Peters argues that an approval of the pipeline might mean a setback to Canada's national climate change policy aims to reduce such emissions to by 2020. That cost "should be recorded as a negative and a cost to the planet," said Peters. (credit:Flickr: rcbodden)

trenton falls pipeline(18 of19)

(credit:Flickr: ankakay)

Terry Lake, B.C. Environment Minister(19 of19)

(Sept. 17) - In the worry that in the event of a spill, Enbridge won't have tge insurance to cover the clean-up costs: "Enbridge and Northern Gateway are very aware of that concern now, so we'll look to their response. But we've made it clear that taxpayers will not be left on the hook," Lake said."I think that the company would argue they have the resources necessary. What British Columbians want to see is an ironclad guarantee that they do have the resources necessary, that the structure and the insurance in place will protect British Columbians from the cost of any adverse event," he added. (credit:Flickr: ankakay)

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