In New Brunswick, over half of the gas stations examined by the provincial government this year were found to be breaching regulations concerning their storage tanks. The Environment Department conducted inspections on 91 gas stations since April, revealing that 47 of them, accounting for 51.6% of the total, were not adhering to the stipulated rules.
Minister Gilles LePage expressed concern over the findings, noting that while some violations were minor, all infractions must be taken seriously. The Environment Department issued 16 tickets with fines amounting to $19,272, and compliance plans were issued to 32 gas stations. These outlets are required to submit plans detailing how they will rectify the non-compliance, with 19 of them currently in the process of addressing the issues.
Following a spill at an Irving Oil station in Woodstock last December, province-wide inspections were initiated in April. The spill resulted in the closure of an adjacent Tim Hortons, which recently reopened. The department reported that 189,000 liters of gas were spilled, but there was no contamination of water wells beyond the site, and monitoring of wells is ongoing.
The violations observed were mainly administrative in nature, such as lacking licenses, unregistered tanks, and improper labeling. Green Leader David Coon criticized the significant number of infractions, attributing them to decisions made by previous Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments. PC Leader Glen Savoie acknowledged the historical nature of the problems but emphasized the current administration’s responsibility to address them.
Irving Oil, identified as the “responsible party” for the leak, is actively engaged in cleanup efforts at the site. The company did not respond to interview requests from CBC News. Minister LePage emphasized the importance of enforcing regulations to safeguard the environment and the people of New Brunswick, and he pledged to await the completion of the department’s investigation into the Woodstock leak before discussing its causes and consequences.