Irving Oil unaware of leaking diesel until after major spill detected, emails suggest

New details have emerged from government emails obtained through a right to information request, suggesting that Irving Oil Ltd. was not aware of discrepancies in fuel numbers until after a spill was detected at its Woodstock gas station. In a Jan. 7 email, Mallory Gilliss, a manager of contaminated sites with the Department of Environment and Local Government, provided an update following a “high level update” meeting with Irving and the contractor hired to manage the spill, Dillon Consulting Limited.

According to Gilliss, Irving’s Operations Group was investigating the cause of the leak, which was determined to be a crack in the remote fill elbow. The company was evaluating the cause of the crack and had identified discrepancies in product inventory in the week leading up to the incident. They were also looking into whether this was a process or software failure and were planning to investigate other Irving sites to determine if they had the same vulnerability.

However, it remains unclear what that vulnerability was that led to thousands of litres of diesel leaking into the environment without being detected immediately. Despite interview requests sent to Irving Oil Ltd. via email and phone calls, the company did not respond to the requests. In fact, Irving Oil has never responded to CBC requests regarding this diesel leak dating back to its discovery.

The investigation into the diesel leak revealed that roughly 180,000 litres had been recovered from the spill at the Woodstock gas station. This revelation came as a surprise to many, including staff at the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, who were caught off guard by the extent of the cleanup operations. It was discovered that efforts to capture the leaked diesel had encroached onto the Trans-Canada Highway without officials’ knowledge or approval.

Government agencies and other organizations were also in the dark about the extent of the Irving diesel leak. Various emails showed confusion among different groups, with some expressing concerns about the potential impact on fish habitats and nearby properties. The Town of Woodstock reached out to the Environment Minister and deputy minister for more information about the spill, citing frustration with the lack of updates from Irving Oil.

In response to the leak, the Environment Department launched an investigation into gas station safety compliance, which revealed issues at nearly half of the inspected locations. The department issued tickets and compliance plans for non-compliances observed at 15 sites, including both Irving and non-Irving stations. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Gilles LePage stated that the investigation into the leak is ongoing and that recommendations and solutions will be made public once the reports are completed.

Despite the delay in informing the public about the leak, LePage explained that the detection occurred close to Christmas break, and the priority was collecting the leaked fuel and enforcing cleanup rules. He assured that all citizens’ questions would be answered by department staff, consultants, and the company responsible for the spill. The reports into what happened at the Woodstock Irving on Beardsley Road are expected to be completed within the next month and will be made public.