Environmental groups say $16K fine for pipeline spill not even a slap on wrist

EDMONTON – An energy company with a history of pipeline problems is being fined and warned by Alberta’s regulator for a 2013 spill that sent millions of litres of salty water into muskeg.

But environmental groups say Apache Canada’s $16,500 fine isn’t even a slap on the wrist.

Apache has been ordered to hire an independent auditor to check how it maintains pipeline safety.

It must also tell the regulator how it plans to prevent future releases.

Government documents show the company spilled 15 million litres of salty water onto the land around Zama, Alta.

But the spill went undetected and unreported for nearly a month.