Imperial was handed a substantial fine for a spill at its Sarnia site over three years ago.
On April 15, 2021, Imperial responded to an incident at its Sarnia facility involving a leak from a pipeline into a tank containment area.
About 1,150 litres of slop oil, typically a mixture of crude oil, water, and waste solids containing various contaminants which may include hydrogen sulphide, was discharged.
In provincial court on September 16, Imperial pleaded guilty to a charge under the Environmental Protection Act.
The Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks ordered the company to pay $1.25 million, which includes a $225,000 victim fine surcharge.
In a statement to Sarnia News Today, Imperial's Public and Government Affairs Manager Kristina Zimmer said subsequent air monitoring by Imperial and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) nearby did not detect hydrogen sulphide or benzene.
"We regret this incident, and we accept the fine imposed by the court," said Zimmer. "Imperial has since made changes to its equipment maintenance plan by modifying the criteria used to prioritize repairs to mitigate the risk of a reoccurrence of the same incident. Imperial has cooperated with the MECP through the investigation. Safety is a core value at all our operations and facilities. We aim to protect the safety and health of our employees, the public and the environment."
The company was given 90 days to pay the fine.