The number of hazardous spills in British Columbia has trended upward over the last several years, making it even more important for the government to prepare, auditor general Michael Pickup says.
Pickup’s report shows 5,306 spills and other environmental emergencies were reported in the 2021-22 fiscal year, up from 4,436 in 2018-19. Numbers for the 2022-23 fiscal year show 4,889 reports.Pickup told a news conference that risk levels, technology and the people involved in an emergency can all change over time.
The report says the government didn’t consistently notify First Nations communities of hazardous spills, and millions of dollars owed to the province haven’t been recovered from those responsible. The report says the ministry collects provincial-level data, including information on the status of spills by region, but the system was difficult to use and most staff required IT support to put the information into a usable format.
Peter McCartney, a climate campaigner for the Wilderness Committee who works mainly on oil and gas spills, praised Pickup’s work. “I think the auditor general nailed it,” he said, adding the most significant finding was that the province doesn’t have an “adequate, current, up-to-date” response plan for major hazardous spills.
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