CNR fined for environmental violations
Horizon: CNR to pay up for hydrogen sulphide leaks at facility
By Tonya Zelinsky
27 June 2016 18:00 GMT
Canadian Natural Resources has been fined C$500,000 ($381,811) related to two separate incidents of hydrogen sulphide leaks from its Horizon oil sands mining operation in Northern Alberta.
In both incidents, Alberta Environment found CNR guilty of violating the province's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act in 2010 and 2012 when Horizon's sulphur recovery unit failed.
The first incident occurred 28 May 2010 and caused gas to leak from the unit at both the ground level and through a flare stack, resulting in several onsite workers being treated at the facility's medical centre.
The company immediately reported the incident to the province's Occupational Health and Safety at the time but refrained from informing Alberta Environment for six days. It was fined C$350,000.
The sulphur recovery unit failed again 2 August 2012 when an unknown quantity failed to combust and escaped through a flare stack. CNR was fined C$150,000 ($114,390) in relation to this offence.
The bulk of the fines will be directed toward the research of the toxicological effects of chemical measures in the air around the First Nation of Fort McKay, north of Fort McMurray, Alberta.