Gatekeeper of Energy East Pipeline Has Mixed Environmental Record

"A company pivotal to Canada's most ambitious oil pipeline project has a mixed environmental record of spills and regulatory warnings, according to government documents reviewed by Reuters, a finding likely to bolster activist opposition to the proposal.

Family-owned Irving Oil, poised to build and operate the sole Atlantic export terminal for TransCanada's Energy East oil sands pipeline from Alberta, has logged at least 19 accidents classified by regulators as "environmental emergencies" at its existing facilities in eastern Canada since 2012, including three that drew warnings for delayed reporting.

Reuters gained access to New Brunswick Department of Environment incident records through a Right to Information Act request."

Richard Valdmanis and Dave Sherwood report for Reuters April 22, 2015.