9 per cent of inspected N.B. gas stations weren’t checking tanks daily
CBC
Environmental inspectors found that nine per cent of gas stations they examined in the province weren't doing daily checks of the amount of fuel in their underground tanks, according to the New Brunswick environment minister.
That raises concerns about possible repeats of a major spill in Woodstock last year that dumped 189,000 litres of gasoline into the ground, opposition leaders say.
“This is the first line of defence to ensure that leaks aren't occurring into the aquifer and groundwater, which could contaminate people as well,” Green Party Leader David Coon.
“So that's a significant number.”
Coon received the numbers from Environment Minister Gilles LePage after requesting more details about inspections launched following the spill at the Irving gas station on Beardsley Road in Woodstock.
In October, the department said it had inspected 91 gas stations since April, and 47 of them — more than half — were violating the rules.
According to a Nov. 19 letter from LePage to Coon with more details, nine gas stations were “reconciling” their amounts — comparing what was in the tanks with recorded sales to detect leaks — every other day or even less frequently.
“Owners were required to comply immediately and conduct daily reconciliation,” the minister wrote in the letter.
Inspectors also found nine “ghost tanks” — tanks not registered, licensed or inspected — in seven locations, the letter said.
“I would say that the compliance monitoring and enforcement functions of the Environment Department are not achieving what they should be achieving," Coon said. "Otherwise we wouldn't see those kinds of results."
The department said in October that 16 tickets were issued, with fines totalling $19,272, and 32 gas stations were required to develop compliance plans explaining how they would do better.
As of October, 19 were still working through those plans.
LePage did not say clearly what the criteria were for levying fines.
The inspections in the wake of the Woodstock leak were on top of regular inspections.
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