Husky Energy is facing charges in connection to the 2016 oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River.
Husky’s pipeline failed in July of that year, which leaked oil into the river for several hours before being shut down.
Many communities downstream were greatly impacted by the event and had to establish secondary drinking water for several months. Prince Albert, North Battleford and James Smith Cree Nation were among the impacted communities.
One year after the environmental tragedy, the government admitted a failure in communication with First Nation communities.
Husky attributed the failure to ground movement and some sources say cost the company over $100 million in cleanup fees.
The government now says the energy company is set to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Thursday to face several federal charges and one charge under the provincial Environmental Management and Protection Act.
Just under the one EMPA charge alone, Husky is facing a maximum fine of $1 million.
Environment and Climate Change Canada are expected to release the nature of the federal charges later this week. The possible fines from these charges will come out when the nature of these charges is released.
The Saskatchewan government says the specific charge is unlawfully allowing the discharge of a substance into the environment that caused an adverse effect.
The full investigation on the spill from the Ministry of Energy and Resources will not be released until after the prosecution and appeals process.
All charges stem from the 2016 oil spill, that saw over 200,000 litres of oil spill into the river.
(PHOTO: Wapiti Valley, Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy of Enns Kivin, Facebook.)