Imperial Oil has been fined $200,000 after pleading guilty to a wastewater leak at the North Saskatchewan river in Alberta, Canada.
The leak came from the company’s Strathcona refinery in February 2004, when about 100 to 400 liters of untreated wastewater was released into the water.
Pius Rolheiser, an Imperial Oil spokesperson, told Sherwood Park News, that the leak happened when a previously used decommissioned line accidentally released wastewater due to a mechanical malfunction combined with human error.
The line was immediately sealed, and the company has started additional job training to stop the incident from happening again.
The maximum fine for incidents of this nature is $500,000. The lower fine was issued due to Imperial Oil’s involvement in investigating the matter, in addition to a guilty plea.
Imperial Oil will pay a $20,000 fine, and the remaining $180,000 will go to environmental groups involved in projects along the North Saskatchewan.
Source: Sherwood Park News
