On February 18, 2020, Drever Agencies Inc. was fined $1,250,000 in Wetaskiwin Provincial Court for an offence under the Fisheries Act. The company pleaded guilty to a charge of depositing a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish. The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
With eight locations in Alberta, Drever Agencies serves local business, agriculture, the oilfield and the construction industry, providing diesel fuel, gasoline and lubricants for various types of Canadian driving and working conditions.
In August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers responded to a report of a solvent spill on a commercial property in Wetaskiwin. A number of dead fish were observed in an unnamed creek that flows into the Battle River. An investigation determined that approximately 1,800 litres of Petrosol solvent leaked from a storage tank owned by Drever and entered the creek. Through laboratory analysis, it was confirmed that the solvent was harmful to fish.
As a result of the conviction, the company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The Environmental Offenders Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws.
Environmental Damages Fund is a Government of Canada program administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Fund follows the polluter pays principle, and it ensures that court-awarded penalties are used for projects with positive environmental impacts.
To view the Environmental Offenders Registry, click here.
