Saskatchewan environmental group says Husky should face fines over oil spill
Posted Dec 5, 2016 03:06:26 PM.
Last Updated Dec 5, 2016 05:26:07 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Environmental Society wants Husky Energy to face provincial fines over a major oil spill last summer that jeopardized the drinking water of thousands of people.
About 225,000 litres of oil spilled last July when ground movement caused a Husky (TSX:HSE) pipeline to leak near Maidstone, Sask.
About 40 per cent of the oil made its way into the North Saskatchewan River.
Peter Prebble, an environmental society spokesman, says the company violated provincial law by discharging a substance that could hurt the environment.
The society is urging the province to improve the Pipeline Act by ensuring more frequent inspections, upgrading pipelines near water and improving communication with affected communities if there’s a spill.
The government introduced amendments to the act last week to create new inspection audit powers and raise penalties to as high as $500,000 a day.
Prebble says the province also needs to ensure pipelines crossing waterways are improved.
“It’s also important that pipelines that intersect important water bodies all be equipped with latest spill-detection technology and all be equipped with automatic shut-off valves that are able to respond if there are pressure anomalies on the line,” Prebble said Monday.
The society would like an independent investigation into the spill that would look at whether the initial emergency response was adequate.
The cities of North Battleford, Prince Albert and Melfort were forced to shut their intakes from the river and find other water sources for almost two months.
(CJWW, The Canadian Press)
