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Worksite NEWS

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2012

Energy Safety audit blasts Government:

Industry responds

Worksite News Service Anational report accusing the federal government of slacking off with its safety and environmental monitoring policies paints a bleak picture of the country's oil & gas sector, according The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). In a recently released statement, the Calgary-based association insists that both its maintenance and transportation procedures meet and exceed public safety and environmental standards, and the report should reflect poorly on Canada's energy sector. "Commitment to safety is our industry's number one priority," the CEPA statement reads/ "It is in our best interest and that of the public to operate a safe and reliable system. As a result of that commitment, we transport oil and gas products 365 days a year with a reliability factor of 99.98 percent. We are the safest mode of transportation of energy products." We are very concerned when reports fail to provide context to their stories and create unnecessary public fears when the facts clearly show that the opposite is true." According to the annual report by the federal commissioner of the environment and sustainable development the Conservative government is refusing to accept its environmental enforcement, and its monitoring procedures are poorly managed. Scott Vaughan also says in his report that Environment Canada is dragging its heels on improving scientific research in the department and adopting a long-term science plan. Opposition parties also weighed in saying the report is a damning indictment of the Conservative government's environmental policies and particularly troubling considering the potential for more cuts to Environ In one of the audits, the commissioner found the federal government has failed to provide adequate oversight of the transport of dangerous goods, such as oil and gas, that could imperil the safety of Canadians. "There's some pretty big gaps. There's some serious problems," Vaughan told reporters in Ottawa. "Canadians would certainly be better protected if these regulations were enforced correctly. They are there for a reason. They are to protect Canadians from exposure to hazardous materials."

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