A multi-million-dollar settlement has been reached between the City of Regina and the Consumers’ Co-operative Refinery Limited (CCRL), ending a lawsuit with the refinery.
The lawsuit stemmed from a May 2020 spill where the city claims it found 60,000 litres of contaminated water from the plant with a significant volume of a thick, tar-like substance in the water.
The total price to pay for the Co-op refinery is $4.65 million.
In the original statement of claim, the city described the refinery’s conduct as “egregious, oppressive, high-handed, reckless, destructive, pervasive and invites outrage and warrants punishment, deterrence and denunciation.”
According to court documents, the City of Regina paid EPCOR – Wastewater Service over $4.5 million to remediate one of its lagoons after finding the contaminated water.
The price of the settlement is meant to cover the cost of the damaged lagoon, water treatment infrastructure as well as water sampling and monitoring improvements.
“When we have an issue like this we work with partners in the industry, FCL in this case, and it’s pretty rigorous testing and we’re confident that we can continue to make improvements (in our water monitoring),” Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said.
The settlement was for payment was reached on Dec. 7, 2022.
“The City and CCRL reached a settlement on this matter which was satisfactory to both parties,” CCRL said in an email to Global News. “CCRL provided payment of $4,650,000 to the City for the expenses incurred by them in relation to the events in May, 2020.”
The fallout of the ordeal has led to the city being more transparent regarding spills.
In 2021 Regina had 10 toxic leaks or spills, with four originating from the Co-Op.
Leaks are now disclosed on its open data website and a reporting system has been implemented to alert people downstream of a spill.