Article content

Moving oil and gas by pipeline was 4.5 times safer than moving the same volume the same distance by rail in the decade ended in 2013 in Canada, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute public policy think-tank.

Lead author Ken Green said the study released Thursday morning using newly compiled data from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada puts a number on the relative safety and environmental risk of the two types of oil transportation.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Pipelines much safer than shipping oil by rail, Fraser Institute study says Back to video

“I hope it becomes better understood that saying ‘No’ to a pipeline is saying ‘Yes’ to rail and that is to increase the risk to the environment and human health and not decrease it,” he said.

“I think if people want to make rational decisions about these things, they have to understand that.”

Crude-by-rail shipments in North America have skyrocketed in recent years as rising volumes from Alberta oilsands and U.S. shale oil plays outstrip the capacity of current pipelines. Meanwhile, vocal opposition by environmentalists and property owners and regulator indecision have stretched out the approval process for pipeline capacity expansions.