Sour gas wells remind us oil industry enjoys a double standard
You are, no doubt, aware of the Mission Zero program — the Saskatchewan Party government’s noble effort to eliminate all injuries. Launched in May 2008 as part of the initiative of WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) and the labour ministry, Mission Zero “(is) the prevention goal for all injuries — on and off the job” that “means working toward zero injuries, zero fatalities, zero suffering.”
Also, there has been an intense focus by this government to publicize occupational health and safety violations. Almost every week, we see a release on OH&S violations — even those involving small roofing companies guilty of not supplying proper rigging.
This government also oversees those SaskPower ads asking linemen to come home safe tonight, highways ministry advertising warning to slow to 60 km/h in the orange zone and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) campaign on drunk driving that has been followed up by .04 blood-alcohol content vehicle impoundment.
It’s a loud statement about the Sask. Party’s vigilant commitment to keep its citizenry safe ... yet public safety issues become church-mouse quiet if the oilpatch is involved.
When it comes to small business employees, our roads and even their own public sector employees, this government has been a warrior for public safety. However, when it comes to pipeline spills or the dangers posed by the byproducts of oil, this government seems all too comfortable with the industry virtually regulating itself.
We were reminded of this Monday via the government’s remarkably tepid response to Saturday’s Toronto Star/Global/journalism schools’ investigation into the dangers of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) poisonings in the oilpatch.
The Star article noted one October 2012 incident in which Oxbow resident Shirley Galloway described a teen family member “gasping for breath” after experiencing H2S levels reading more than 100 parts per million.
The story also noted 38-yearold oil and gas chemical salesman Michael Bunz’s death due to exposure to H2S gas. Yet then-economy minister Bill Boyd’s ministry made no mention of Bunz’s death, and documents obtained through freedom of information requests and other sources show repeated “failures in performance by oil and gas companies, including serious infractions, failed safety audits, daily H2S readings beyond provincial air quality standards.”
This, from a government weekly highlighting all OH&S violations? This, from a government from which the lone news release Tuesday was requesting help with a Saskatoon moose-poaching case?
Asked about the investigation Monday, there still was no news release or ministerial conference.
The government did respond with a statement suggesting wells and facilities producing sour gas must have public signage, and gas release incidents require the operator to notify the provincial regulator and activate its emergency response plan — which involves notifying local landowners, securing the site and advising emergency response agencies. It also said there have been increased inspections and it has issued 12 compliance notices (all non-high-risk) since 2015.
But Saskatchewan PC leader Rick Swenson — who is demanding the province release all documents and industry reports about H2S gas leaks — said Monday there is reason to be suspicious the energy ministry charged with overseeing compliance may be less vigilant.
“You can’t tell me those incident reports, which are phoned in, have disappeared into a black hole somewhere,” Swenson said.
Similarly, the NDP in the last election called for the government to “establish an independent energy regulator with a mandate to oversee and regulate development of Saskatchewan’s energy resources.”
“I really do hope that this is a serious wake-up call for the industry and for government, and we need to take that seriously,” said NDP MLA Cathy Sproule, who noted the province’s failure to comply with provincial auditor Judy Ferguson’s 2012 report that identified the oil industry breaking the law on pipeline monitoring.
Clearly, this government’s vigilant goal of “zero injuries, zero fatalities, zero suffering” hasn’t been applied equally to safety issues involving the oil sector.