Alberta spill caused by tampered pipeline

A pipeline owned by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. was vandalized on the weekend, creating a leak that spilled 30,000 litres of oil and wateronto the ground, Fairview RCMP said Tuesday.

The spill site is near the Alberta-B.C. provincial boundary, in the area of Clear Prairie, about 660 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

RCMP say the vandal used specialized tools to open two valves and remove a plug on the line sometime between Sunday and Monday.

The spill has been contained within a small area. Both Alberta Environment and the Energy Resources Conservation Board have been alerted.