The Canadian National Railway Company (CN) has been handed a $125,000 fine for a 2015 diesel spill in the North Saskatchewan River.
The spill happened in April 2015, after a piece of equipment that collects and separates spilled materials into water and hydrocarbons broke down. The malfunction happened at CN’s Bissell Yard in northwest Edmonton.
The amount of diesel hydrocarbon that reached the North Saskatchewan River is not known, but Alberta Environment received several reports of a sheen upwards of two-kilometres long on the water.
CN did not report the discharge until three months later.
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CN said in a statement it is committed to operating safely and in an environmentally responsible way.
“We regret this unfortunate incident,” said spokeswoman Kate Fenske. “We have already made changes to our operations to avoid a reoccurrence.”
READ MORE: CN Rail faces environmental charges over alleged spill in Edmonton
CN was originally charged with six offences under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act following the spill.
The company pleaded guilty to the following two counts:
- Releasing a substance that caused or may have caused a significant adverse effect
- Failing to take all reasonable measures to remediate, manage, remove or otherwise dispose of the substance causing the adverse effect
The majority of the fine – $110,000 – will go towards building an aquatic and riparian habitat as part of a creative sentencing project involving the Edmonton and Area Land Trust.
CN still faces federal charges over the spill. The company declined comment on that matter.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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