logo
Irving Oil unaware of leaking diesel until after major spill detected, emails suggest

Irving Oil unaware of leaking diesel until after major spill detected, emails suggest

CBC21-05-2025

Government emails obtained through a right to information request suggest Irving Oil Ltd. was not aware of discrepancies in fuel numbers until after a spill was detected at its Woodstock gas station.
In a Jan. 7 email, Mallory Gilliss, a manager of contaminated sites with the Department of Environment and Local Government, updated colleagues following a "high level update" meeting with Irving and the contractor the company hired to manage the spill, Dillon Consulting Limited.
"Irving's Operations Group is investigating the cause of the leak. There was a crack in the remote fill elbow and they are evaluating the cause of the crack. They have already identified some discrepancies in product inventory in the week leading up to the incident and they will continue to investigate if this was a process or software failure," Gilliss wrote.
"They will be looking at other Irving sites to see if they have the same vulnerability."
What that vulnerability was — that led to thousands of litres of diesel leaking into the environment without being detected immediately — is unclear.
Interview requests were also sent to Irving Oil Ltd. via email and phone calls. The company did not respond to the requests. In fact, Irving Oil has never responded to CBC requests regarding this diesel leak dating back to its discovery.
WATCH | Minister says the report on the 180,000-litre leak will be made public:
New details on diesel leak come from minister, right to information request
39 minutes ago
Duration 3:43
In the days following the initial discovery of the diesel leak in mid-December of 2024, several locals told CBC News they had already reported diesel in the water supply at the neighbouring Tim Hortons — in some cases several weeks prior to any action being taken.
The amount of diesel recovered from the spill has recently been increased to 180,000 litres.
Highway officials caught off guard
Those same documents also show a series of confused emails from a variety of organizations, including government agencies, who were in the dark about the leak and its potential impacts.
Staff at the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure were surprised at the extent of the cleanup operations. It appears efforts to capture the leaked diesel encroached onto the Trans-Canada Highway — and impeded traffic — without officials knowing or approving those operations.
"The clean-up at [Beardsley] Road has extended on to NBHC [New Brunswick Highway Corporation] property. We have not been notified by anybody," wrote Kyle Wright, an operation, maintenance and rehabilitation manager for DTI, to a colleague on Feb. 12.
An email to Wright from Craig Gallant of AtkinsRéalis, previously called SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., the company that manages that stretch of highway under contract by the province, replied that they too had no idea about the encroaching operations.
"It seems like the contractor for the clean up at the Irving at [Beardsley] Road is now excavating within the Highway ROW [right of way]. Are you aware? We have not been advised of any plans in this regard. Any information the province has for this clean up would be appreciated," wrote Gallant.
Groups in the dark
Following a CBC News publication about the initial estimate of at least 100,000 litres of leaked diesel, several organizations began contacting the province for details about the spill.
Those emails were included in the right to information request. Some came from an enforcement officer from Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick. Both requested information about the leak and its possible impact on fish habitats.
The department also received calls from nearby property owners worried about their land and water being contaminated.
The day after the initial CBC News report, the Town of Woodstock also requested more information about the spill directly from Environment Minister Gilles LePage and deputy minister Charbel Awad after expressing frustration with a lack of updates from Irving Oil.
"I trust that Irving is following all requirements from the Department of Environment in their remediation work, and we understand an environmental assessment is being done, but given the media reports of fuel found in surface water in wetlands a fair distance away, I think it is time that I better understand the possible gravity of the situation," wrote Mayor Trina Jones.
"As you can appreciate, the media will continue to reach out to myself and my Council to look for more information and although I continue to divert their questions, as recent as yesterday, our community members will expect us to have more information than the press," Jones wrote.
Investigation continues
On May 5, the Environment Department issued a news release stating that an investigation launched into gas station safety compliance — a direct result of the leak in Woodstock — revealed issues at nearly half of the inspected locations.
"The department has completed 30 inspections around New Brunswick since launching the exercise in April," stated the release. "Non-compliances were observed at 14 sites. These findings prompted enforcement actions by the department, including issuance of tickets and compliance plans."
The province has since updated those numbers from 14 sites to 15 sites.
Minister responds
According to LePage, tickets for "minor infractions" at those 15 gas stations total around $6,000. He said stations were selected across different regions at random and included both Irving and non-Irving stations.
He said he can't say what led to the leak and why it wasn't immediately detected.
"The investigation is still going on, ours and also Irving's investigation," said LePage. "We'll combine both and we'll find recommendations, solutions, and more actions probably, after we get those reports."
LePage said he's not sure when they'll be completed, but "hopefully within the next month." He said they'll be made public.
"Everything that I can make public, yes, I will make public," LePage said.
When asked why the Department of Environment did not immediately inform the public about the leak, LePage said its detection on Dec. 15 was close to Christmas break and the priority at the time was collecting the leaked fuel and enforcing department rules governing cleanup.
"We're answering every citizen that requests an answer. Our staff is there to answer questions, the consultant staff is there to answer questions, and of course the company is also there, and also responsible to answer those questions," LePage said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sherritt Reports Shareholder Meeting Results, Board Appointments and Committee Updates
Sherritt Reports Shareholder Meeting Results, Board Appointments and Committee Updates

National Post

timean hour ago

  • National Post

Sherritt Reports Shareholder Meeting Results, Board Appointments and Committee Updates

Article content TORONTO — Sherritt International Corporation ('Sherritt' or the 'Corporation') (TSX:S) today announced the voting results of its 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders held June 10, 2025, the appointment of John Ewing to the Board of Directors (the 'Board'), the appointments of Leon Binedell as Executive Chairman and Shelley Brown as Lead Independent Director, respectively, and other governance updates. Article content Article content 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders Voting Results Article content A total of 283,623,833 common shares or 57.15% of Sherritt's issued and outstanding common shares were represented in person or by proxy at the meeting. A majority of the votes were cast in favour of all items of business put forth at the meeting, including the re-appointment of Deloitte LLP as external auditors, amendments to the Corporation's stock option plan and the non-binding advisory resolution known as 'Say on Pay.' Article content Election of Directors Article content Each of the six director nominees standing for election was elected as a director of Sherritt to serve until the next annual general meeting of the company or until his or her successor is elected or appointed: Article content The full Report of Voting Results has been filed on SEDAR+ at Article content Director Appointment and Continued Commitment to Board Renewal Article content To fill the vacancy on the Board resulting from Sir Richard Lapthorne's retirement as announced on June 9, 2025, and consistent with the Corporation's ongoing commitment to good governance and Board renewal, following the meeting, the Board appointed John Ewing, bringing the total number of directors to seven. A biography for Mr. Ewing is provided below. Article content The Board intends to continue the Board renewal process with the appointment of at least one additional independent director, preferably with mining engineering expertise and the potential to assume a leadership position on the Board, by December 31, 2025. Article content All directors are independent within the meaning of applicable securities laws, other than Leon Binedell who also serves as President and CEO of the Corporation. John Ewing is the nominee of Sherritt shareholder Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. ('Ewing Morris'), and Richard Moat is the nominee of Sherritt shareholder Kyma Capital Limited. Article content Board Leadership and Committee Updates Article content In connection with the reconstitution of the Board, the Corporation announces that Leon Binedell has been appointed Executive Chairman, following the retirement of former Chairman Sir Richard Lapthorne. Shelley Brown, an independent director of Sherritt since August 2024, has been named Lead Independent Director. Article content The Board committees have also been reconstituted to better align with the expertise of the new directors, including the appointment of Mr. Ewing to the Reserves, Operations and Capital Committee and Mr. Moat to the Audit Committee. Article content Additionally, the former HR Committee and the former Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee have been consolidated into a single committee. This streamlining reflects the Corporation's commitment to enhancing Board efficiency, while reducing management's administrative burden to support a greater focus on operational priorities. Article content Sherritt shareholders SC2 Inc. ('SC2') and Ewing Morris have expressed their alignment with the Corporation's ongoing Board renewal process and have committed to supporting Sherritt's director nominees through the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. Article content 'I believe in Sherritt's potential,' said John Ewing, Sherritt Director and Co-Founder of Ewing Morris. 'I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues on the Board to help Sherritt achieve new milestones and deliver long-term value for all stakeholders.' Article content 'We are encouraged with the progress in Sherritt's Board renewal process,' said Casey McKenzie, President, SC2. 'We recognize the Corporation's potential and look forward to supporting management in driving continued improvements in performance.' Article content Leon Binedell, Sherritt Executive Chairman added: 'On behalf of Sherritt, I would like to thank Ewing Morris, SC2, and our broader shareholder base for their engagement and ongoing support. In addition, Sherritt and Seablinc look forward to re-establishing a normal commercial relationship. Over the past few years, we have worked with determination to position Sherritt for sustainable growth and value creation. I am confident that John will make valuable contributions to the Board and the Corporation as we continue to strengthen and build upon this foundation.' Article content About John Ewing Article content Mr. Ewing is Chief Investment Officer of Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners. He co-founded the firm in June 2011 with Darcy Morris. Mr. Ewing graduated with distinction from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree and a Minor in Business Administration. Article content About Sherritt Article content Sherritt is a world leader in using hydrometallurgical processes to mine and refine nickel and cobalt – metals deemed critical for the energy transition. Sherritt's Moa Joint Venture has an estimated mine life of approximately 25 years and is advancing an expansion program focused on increasing annual MSP production by 20% of contained nickel and cobalt. The Corporation's Power division, through its ownership in Energas, is the largest independent energy producer in Cuba with installed electrical generating capacity of 506 MW, representing approximately 10% of the national electrical generating capacity in Cuba. The Energas facilities are comprised of two combined cycle plants that produce low-cost electricity from one of the lowest carbon emitting sources of power in Cuba. Sherritt's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'S'. Article content FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Article content Certain statements and other information included in this press release constitute 'forward-looking information' or 'forward-looking statements' (collectively, 'forward-looking statements') under applicable securities laws (such statements are often accompanied by words such as 'anticipate', 'forecast', 'expect', 'believe', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'estimate', 'intend' or other similar words). All statements in this press release, other than those relating to historical information, are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited statements regarding strategies, plans and estimated production amounts resulting from expansion of mining operations at the Moa Joint Venture. The Corporation cautions readers of this press release not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement as a number of factors could cause actual future results, conditions, actions or events to differ materially from the targets, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. The key risks and uncertainties should be considered in conjunction with the risk factors described in the Corporation's other documents filed with the Canadian securities authorities, including without limitation the 'Managing Risk' section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and the Annual Information Form of the Corporation dated March 24, 2025 for the period ending December 31, 2024, which is available on SEDAR+ at Article content The forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any oral or written forward-looking information or statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information and statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Article content Article content Article content

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store