Enbridge is defending its safety record, in the face of attacks over its handling of a 2010 oil spill in Michigan.
    Company president Al Monaco released a statement today, saying Enbridge has the largest and most complex liquids pipeline system in the world, transporting nearly 12 billion barrels of crude oil over the past decade, with a safe delivery record better than 99.999 per cent.
     However, he insists the company is aiming for a perfect safety record, and spent about 400-million dollars last year alone to that end, and expects to spend twice that amount this year.
    Monaco acknowledges pipeline safety has been in the news a lot lately -- but he says it's important to put the headlines in context.
    Last month, the U-S National Transportation Board referred to what it called Enbridge's "Keystone Kops" approach to the Michigan spill, prompting the National Energy Board here in Canada to announce increased safety audits of the company's operations in this country.
    Enbridge's Northern Gateway proposal to transport oil by pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat is under review by the N-E-B's Joint Review Panel.   The federal government has set a deadline of December 31st, 2013 for the panel's report to be submitted.