Company Penalized $500,000 for Separate Hydrogen Sulfide Releases

A company was penalized $500,000 for two environmental incidents. In the first, a plant’s sulfur recovery unit failed and some hydrogen sulfide escaped at both ground level and through a flare stack. For this violation, the company was penalized $350,000. In the second incident, the plant’s sulfur recovery unit failed again, releasing an unknown quantity of hydrogen sulfide gas in violation of the plant’s approval. The company admitted violating the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and was penalized $150,000 for this offence. Of the total penalty, $425,000 will be directed to researchers from the University of Calgary, who’ll use the funds to research the toxicological effects of chemicals measured in the air in and around Fort MacKay [Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Govt. News Release, June 24, 2016].