April 9, 2015 – Leduc, Alberta
On April 2, 2015, Ensign Well Servicing Inc. was ordered to pay a penalty of $185,000 in Alberta Provincial Court after pleading guilty to the deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish, which is an offence under the Fisheries Act. The offence stems from a diesel spill that occurred on June 18, 2013, in Nisku, Alberta, into Blackmud Creek, a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.
An Environment Canada investigation determined that an out-of-service diesel tank (owned by Ensign Well Servicing Inc.) was the source of the spill. A broken plastic tube, attached to the tank, allowed 300 to 600 litres of diesel to spill onto the ground. An unknown amount of fuel made its way into nearby Blackmud Creek.
Of the $185,000 penalty, $180,000 will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF). The remaining $5,000 will be paid as a fine. The EDF is administered by Environment Canada. It was created in 1995 to provide a mechanism for directing funds received as a result of fines, court orders, and voluntary payments to projects that will benefit our natural environment.
As a result of this conviction, the company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.
Fisheries Act
Environmental Offenders Registry
Environmental Damages Fund
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