lax oversight
Credit: Province of British Columbia/Flickr
British Columbia's handling of hazardous spills falls short, audit reveals
British Columbia's preparedness for hazardous spills is inadequate, with outdated response plans and insufficient compliance oversight, an audit finds.
Amanda Follett Hosgood and Andrew MacLeod report for The Tyee.
In short:
- The audit highlighted that B.C.'s spill response plans are not current, there's a lack of procedures for identifying non-compliance, and First Nations are not consistently informed of spills.
- Nearly $14 million in costs from spills remains unrecovered, mainly from the bankrupt Neucel pulp mill, with the government only recovering a fraction of non-Neucel related costs.
- The Ministry of Environment has accepted nine recommendations from the audit, aiming to improve the province's management of hazardous spills.
Key quote:
"The program is designed for there to be consequences, but those responsible for spills don’t comply with the law."
— Michael Pickup, B.C. auditor general
Why this matters:
This audit reveals significant gaps in British Columbia's preparedness and response to such incidents, underlining the need for urgent reforms to safeguard communities and ecosystems from potential disasters. Effective management of hazardous spills is crucial for protecting public health and the environment.
In short:
- The audit highlighted that B.C.'s spill response plans are not current, there's a lack of procedures for identifying non-compliance, and First Nations are not consistently informed of spills.
- Nearly $14 million in costs from spills remains unrecovered, mainly from the bankrupt Neucel pulp mill, with the government only recovering a fraction of non-Neucel related costs.
- The Ministry of Environment has accepted nine recommendations from the audit, aiming to improve the province's management of hazardous spills.
Key quote:
"The program is designed for there to be consequences, but those responsible for spills don’t comply with the law."
— Michael Pickup, B.C. auditor general
Why this matters:
This audit reveals significant gaps in British Columbia's preparedness and response to such incidents, underlining the need for urgent reforms to safeguard communities and ecosystems from potential disasters. Effective management of hazardous spills is crucial for protecting public health and the environment.
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Credit: Thomas Hawk/Flickr
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More than a decade after major pipeline safety reforms, U.S. Congress remains divided on the need for increased oversight amidst persistent safety incidents.
In short:
- Despite significant pipeline safety laws, 2022 saw 265 major incidents, mirroring numbers from 2010.
- The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) faces challenges with underfunding and increased pipeline volume, impacting effective regulation.
- Bipartisan efforts aim to increase PHMSA funding, but disagreements persist over the extent and focus of regulations.
Key quote:
"The volume of assets that PHMSA is overseeing has greatly increased and it will increase further as a result of the tens of billions of dollars being invested in the build out of hydrogen and (carbon capture) infrastructure."
— PHMSA Spokesperson
Visit EHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.
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