ALEC SALLOUM Officials decry lack of alert about CRC’S May 22 oil spill

Chief Todd Peigan of Pasqua First Nation is concerned that it took a week to be notified of an oil spill at Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC).

“I was called at 6:42 on Friday evening,” said Peigan.

“I said, wow, you’re calling me now? You’re calling me on a Friday

evening a week after this happened?” recalled Peigan, adding it was an employee with EPCOR, which operates Regina’s wastewater treatment facility, that contacted the band. The First Nation’s land is located downstream from the treatment plant.

Peigan has questions about why it took so long to be notified and what impact the spill may have had

on the surrounding area.

Another big question regarding the May 22 oil spill at the CRC is how much oil or sludge entered the sewer system.

According to the City of Regina, in an email sent on Friday, the Water Security Agency and the Ministry of Environment have indicated “there was low risk to the environment and downstream users.”

Regardless of quantity, city councillor Andrew Stevens (Ward 3) is concerned the city, councillors and residents were not alerted to the spill.

“I’d like to know what kind of repercussions are in order. Can we consider fines? If so, what would be the appropriate magnitude?” said Stevens. “There shouldn’t be any questions or anything left to the imaginations.”

John Hilts, CRC operations superintendent, said the event on May 22 was “not a spill or a leak in the conventional sense.

“It was higher than normal oil in our wastewater stream to the city,” he said.

According to Brad Delorey, CRC spokesman, high winds on May 22 caused waves to form on outdoor ponds at the CRC, where a mixture of oil and water are stored. The waves then kicked up sediment sitting on the bottom of the ponds, dislodging the sludge, which then caused a discharge after entering a pump.

“We’ve seen higher oil content due to winds in the past, but not always,” said Hilts. According to Hilts there is always some oil in the wastewater the refinery sends to the treatment plant.

Stevens is curious as to how often this has happened, given that strong winds are nothing new to Regina or Saskatchewan. While it has occurred before — not to the extent it did May 22, said Hilts.

The CRC is investigating the spill at the moment and the Ministry of Environment is not, due to an agreement between the City of Regina and the refinery. Delorey said the public was not notified since there was no risk posed by the spill.

“Have we learned nothing from the 2011 and 2013 explosions where self-regulation was identified as a problem?” asked Stevens.

“It calls into question the extent of public accountability and their reporting standard,” said Stevens.

Emily Eaton, a professor in the department of geography and environmental studies at the U of R, has focused her research on the oil and gas industry in Saskatchewan. Eaton said the order of the day for the CRC and oil producers is “self-reporting ” their investigations to the appropriate ministry be it the Ministry of Environment or the Ministry of Natural Energy.

“Without a lot of inspectors and proper monitoring, it always has been up to companies to self-report,” said Eaton.

In mid-april the province announced support for the oil and gas sector which included extending a series of filings and other deadlines. Eaton said the province has indefinitely suspended late reporting penalties on incident reports.

According to an April 14 provincial news release, “these extensions do not impact health or environmental safety and apply to routine reporting activities, which will be addressed when the sector returns to normal operations.”

Stevens said the inability to easily access this information is concerning for him a councillor, and said there should be greater transparency around operations at the refinery.

“I want to know why I have to make calls at all on it,” said Stevens. “Why should the public and why should a councillor not be notified about it?”