This release was issued under a previous government.

The offense occurred at a Sinopec Daylight Energy operation near Fox Creek between February 2 and February 4, 2012.

An agreed statement of facts indicates that an operator failed to abide by company policies related to emergency shutdown equipment. The operator bypassed emergency shutdown devices and failed to return them to service.

The operator’s actions resulted in a build-up of pressure in the pipe line. This pressure contributed to a pipeline failure that resulted in a release of 391 cubic metres of saline process water into the surrounding environment, including Marsh Head Creek. The operator’s failure to check the pipeline resulted in the leak remaining undetected for nearly two days.

The company began an immediate cleanup of the release once it was discovered. Remediation was completed in June 2013.