Oil spill posed no risk to public or environment, Co-op refinery says

A spokesperson for the Co-op Refinery in Regina says strong winds led to an oil spill into the city’s sewer system last week.

Brad Delorey says the spill happened the morning of May 22, originating from ponds at the refinery.

“The situation was then immediately isolated. Early investigation showed that the cause of the discharge was because of the high-intense winds leading up to May 22, which stirred up the ponds and the created the discharge into the sewage system,” Delorey says.

The Regina Leader-Post first reported that an “unknown” amount was spilled.

Delorey says the incident did not call for the public to be alerted.

“There was no notification to the public and we immediately began working with the city. At the very beginning it was deemed there was no threat to the public or the environment so no notification was given,” he says.

Unifor 594, which represents workers who’ve been locked out, said the incident shows the risk of using replacement workers, as a labour dispute drags on for nearly six months.

“I’ve worked at the refinery for 23 years, and windy conditions are not abnormal in Saskatchewan, so Mr. Delorey’s explanation doesn’t have merit. There is more to this than just weather,” read a statement from local president Kevin Bittman.

Delorey countered that managers and replacement workers have been operating the plant safely since December.

“This was obviously from natural causes, by wind and certainly had nothing to do with the fact that we have replacement workers on site,” he says.

The leader of Saskatchewan NDP party Ryan Meili reacted to the news by calling on the provincial government to ensure a full investigation, as well as to step in and end the labour dispute.

“This dispute has gone on far too long, and is putting lives and vital infrastructure at risk. The Premier has the power to end this lock-out through legislation, but has chosen not to,” said a statement from Meili.

Premier Scott Moe has said that wading into the spat – between a private company and union – would be unprecedented, a statement that the union disputes.”