The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is calling on the provincial government for a third-party investigation into the Husky oil spill.
On Monday, the society released 13 recommendations regarding pipeline safety in response to the provincial government’s recent Pipeline Act amendments.
The SES recommends the province launch a public inquiry into the Husky oil spill that addresses what the group calls Husky Energy’s and the province’s slow initial response to the July 2016 spill, the lack of regular pipeline inspections performed by the government, and the full ecological consequences of the spill.
"This is an issue that merits a public inquiry to look both at the details of the spill (and) the unresolved issues,” said Peter Prebble, a board member with the SES.
The inquiry will also “advise government and cities, municipalities and First Nations in the province about how to better respond to an event like this if it occurs in the future and how best to prevent it,” Prebble said.
SES also proposes Husky Energy face financial penalties under the provincial Pipelines Act and the Environmental Management and Protection Act for the damage caused by the spill. Husky Energy should also be required to upgrade the safety features on its oil pipelines at water-crossings in Saskatchewan, according to the environmental group.
Other recommendations of the SES include environmental impact assessments, regular monitoring of pipelines and the construction of heavier walled pipes near important bodies of water. The group also recommends all inspections, monitoring and auditing of pipelines be done by the Ministry of Environment rather than the Ministry of Economy.
The society says it submitted the recommendations to the environment, economy, and energy and resources ministers on Dec. 1.
Its recommendations augment the recent initiatives taken by the provincial government, the SES says.
On Nov. 28, 2016, the provincial government amended the Pipelines Act, replacing the original legislation from 18 years ago. The new legislation requires a financial guarantee from pipeline operators that are in high-risk areas such as water-crossings.
The province says it will also make an online pipeline licensing system, create new audit powers for ministry staff and increase penalty provisions from $50,000 per day to $500,000 per day.
The new legislation will begin monitoring more than 80,000 flowlines, which were previously exempt from licensing.
The province says they will reassess the new legislation once their own investigation into the Husky oil spill is completed.
