Suncor slapped with ‘parking ticket fine’
A Canadian court ordered Suncor Energy Inc and its contractor to pay C$1 million ($800k) in fines on Thursday for environmental violations at the company’s northern Alberta oil sands operations, Reuters reported.
[Where’s the justice in this world? McDonald’s no doubt wants to know. The company was fined $2.9 million for second and third degree burns sustained by a woman who spilled hot coffee on herself.]
“Suncor, Canada’s No. 2 oil sands producer, will pay C$675,000 for failing to install pollution control equipment at its Firebag steam-driven oil sands operation near Fort McMurray, Alberta, and then keeping that information from provincial environmental authorities.” Said the report.
The violations occurred during 2006 and 2007 when deadly hydrogen sulfide [suicide gas] was released into the atmosphere, according to the Alberta environment ministry.
“The company had committed to installing the equipment in its application to develop the Firebag project, where steam is pumped into the ground to loosen up tar-like bitumen, allowing it to be pumped to the surface in wells.” Reuters said.
Suncor and one of its contractors, Compass Group Canada Ltd, were also found guilty for yet another violation by a Fort McMurray court, which fined the two a total of C$400,000 for releasing wastewater into the Athabasca River from 2005 and 2007.
“The subcontractor pleaded guilty to falsifying information and mismanaging the facility.” [That’s what the fall guys are for!]
“The ministry said Suncor and Compass were unaware of the falsification [that’s the stuff friendly ministries are made of,] but Suncor was fined C$175,000 for failing to supervise Compass and Compass was fined C$225,000 for failing to report the subcontractor’s violations.”
The payment compares with the Exxon Valdez fine, admittedly a bigger disaster than the Suncor legacy, which even after it was slashed, still stood at $500million [Exxon claimed to have spent $3.4 billion to compensate victims, clean up the spill, and pay settlements and fines.]
Is that because of the fundamental differences that exist between the US and Canadian courts?
(Forex rate: $1=$1.25 Canadian)
Related Links:
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