Questions remain as final report into Husky oil spill released

The final report into the Husky oil spill is now complete and in the hands of the Ministry of Justice to consider any fines or penalties.

Husky Energy may face regulatory prosecution for the oil spill last summer under The Pipeline Act and the Environmental Protection Act.

Penalties range from $500,000 to $1 million for each day oil leaked into the North Saskatchewan River, which impacted the drinking water of 60,000 people in July 2016.

The findings of the investigation confirm what was already revealed by Husky’s own investigation.

But the report is leading to a number of changes.

“Since the Husky spill in July, we’ve recognized that we need to do better when it comes to preventing incidents,” Energy and Resources Minister Dustin Duncan said in a news release.

“The changes announced today will help ensure that workers and the environment are well-protected moving forward.”

That includes already announced new legislation to strengthen regulatory requirements for pipelines.

An audit is also being conducted into the systems used by the companies that operate pipelines across waterways and new standards are being developed for such pipelines.

Additional measures for pipelines crossing waterways may be considered.

“We have consulted with industry on these actions,” Duncan said. “Working together, we will ensure the timely implementation of any changes.”

The final report will not be released until any prosecution processes and any appeals have been concluded.