July 16, 2012
EDMONTON The NDP Opposition will be asking Albertas Auditor General to investigate the how often oil pipelines Alberta are inspected to prevent oil spills, perform cleanup, and how often penalties are given to companies that fail to make repairs or cleanup. This call comes after auditors for both the Federal and Saskatchewan governments found that their pipelines werent being monitored closely enough.
Both of those reports found that pipelines in their jurisdictions werent being inspected enough. said NDP MLA David Eggen. Weve had three spills in Alberta already this year. Clearly Alberta needs the same investigation.
Both the Federal and Saskatchewan systems audits were performed in the last year. The Saskatchewan Auditor General found that no one followed up to ensure that needed repairs were being made. The Federal Auditor General found the same problem with pipelines under that governments watch. The NDP are asking Albertas Auditor General to make the same investigation.
Now is the time for a complete systems audit of our pipeline safety policy. Said Eggen. Our energy economy depends on a secure system, as does the integrity of our land and water.
The Alberta government is responsible for 411,000 Km of pipeline, compared to 23,500 Km for Saskatchewan.
Albertas NDP Opposition – On Your Side.
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