Utility board rules N.S. Power was 'imprudent' in not inspecting rusty pipe that caused oil spill
CBC
Nova Scotia Power is on the hook for costs associated with an oil spill at its Tufts Cove power plant on the Dartmouth waterfront in 2018.
That's in addition to a fine of $175,000 that was levied by a Nova Scotia provincial court against the corporation after it pleaded guilty to a single violation under the Fisheries Act.
About 24,000 litres of heavy fuel oil was released into Halifax Harbour on Aug. 2, 2018. The corporation blamed a corroded pipe for the spill.
But in a decision released Wednesday, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) found Nova Scotia Power failed to properly inspect the pipe before the leak.
The utility "did not remove the insulation around it to check for corrosion," the UARB wrote in its decision.
"N.S. Power made this decision despite being aware that the stub pipe would not have been inspected for a long time, and knowing that corrosion in other parts of its heavy fuel oil (HFO) piping system caused it to expand the scope of an ongoing capital project to include the removal of all pipe insulation to allow for a comprehensive pipe inspection."
The UARB finding was part of a broader decision on costs the utility was claiming as part of its Fuel Adjustment Mechanism (FAM) which ensures customers pay the true cost of fuel used to produce electricity, not an estimate.
The board said Nova Scotia Power was "imprudent" and disallowed $157,921 in additional cost and another $1.8 million that would, the board said, have been returned to customers as excess earnings if not for the expenses related to the spill.
The board estimates that the total cost to the utility will be in the neighborhood of $2 million, plus interest. However, the board said to put that in context, Nova Scotia's total FAM costs for the period covered in this audit is $1.5 billion.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Power said they are reviewing the UARB decision. "We operate facilities across the province and take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously," Jacqueline Foster wrote.
"We have taken steps to reduce the risk of incidents moving forward by implementing a risk-based inspection program which meets recommended standards related to inspections and maintenance of infrastructure carrying fuel."
Air Canada passengers who were aboard Flight 8646 when the CRJ-900 aircraft struck a fire truck upon landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening say the collision was sudden and forceful, and they may owe their lives to the pilots who died in the incident.
Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.
A 26-second TikTok video has ignited a larger conversation about vulnerable populations, theft and content creation.
Some family doctors and emergency room physicians working in Edmonton hospitals warn that an April 1 end to stipend pay arrangements could put patient care at risk and increase suffering.
An Auditor General of Canada report has found that B.C. saw drastically fewer international students than was forecast ever since wide-ranging federal immigration cuts began in 2024.
Six years after e-learning became a mandatory requirement to get an Ontario high school diploma, students don't appear to be taking online school to diversify their course selection as the province had intended, according to a CBC News analysis of provincial enrolment data.
Sarnia City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning to respond to social media comments made by Coun. Bill Dennis, who criticized city spending on a new mural by Indigenous artist Kennady Osborne as “virtue signalling by woke politicians” — then made a series of comments in response to a reply from Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin that some have characterized as unprofessional and aggressive.
While many Albertans continue to feel the pinch at the pump, Premier Danielle Smith says the government is not considering any fuel tax breaks, as it does not believe it will make much of a difference.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.
Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) says they will take part in the federal government's buyback program for assault-style rifles this year, but a local member of parliament says she "can't get behind this decision."
The use of American contracts and services is down by nearly half on Prince Edward Island following tariffs and shaky trade relations under the Donald Trump administration.
The first set of deadlines included in the energy and climate deal struck between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are not expected to be met, showing early challenges with the agreement that includes pursuing a new export pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast.
Mayoral-hopeful Coun. Brad Bradford is calling for a host of safety measures across Toronto’s subway system, including a specific focus on platform edge doors, with a motion before city council this week.