Canadian man fined $35,000 for fuel spill, environmental damage

Following a fuel spill in Dorval that seriously contaminated nearby waterways, a Quebec man was fined $35,000 for breaking two Canadian environmental rules.

After Daniel Chayer, a driver for a transport firm, entered a guilty plea to violations of the Fisheries Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Court of Québec issued the fine on February 11, 2025.

This was taken from a statement posted on the website of the Canadian government on February 12, 2025.

The fine will go to the Environmental Damages Fund of the Government of Canada, which funds initiatives to preserve and repair the country's environment.

The complaint is related to an incident involving the supply of fuel at an Enterprise Rent-A-Car service station in Dorval on January 4, 2021.

An inquiry by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) found that Chayer caused a large overflow when he inadvertently moved more than 20,000 litres of gasoline into a 5,000-liter gasoline trap.

The announcement stated that about 15,000 litres of gasoline finally made its way to Bouchard Creek, a fish-bearing river that empties into Lake Saint-Louis, after entering the site's storm-drainage system.

According to an ECCC representative, "it is a serious offence under the Fisheries Act to deposit a hazardous material into fish-frequented waters or in any place where it may enter such waters."

Furthermore, it is against the Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999 to disregard the rules governing petroleum storage tank systems.

Authorities concluded that Chayer's actions were the consequence of carelessness during the fuel transfer procedure.

Only storage containers with clearly visible identifying numbers are permitted to receive petroleum products, according to regulations. This crucial safety measure was disregarded in this instance.

The St. Lawrence River widens into Lake Saint-Louis, which is home to a number of fish species, including Northern Pike, Walleye, and Silver Redhorse. Both local ecosystems and aquatic life were seriously threatened by the contamination.

The ECCC underlined its dedication to upholding environmental regulations and avoiding pollution.

The department said, "We will keep working to protect Canada's air, water, and natural environment because we take incidents like this very seriously."

Established in 1995, the Environmental Damages Fund makes sure that fines for environmental infractions are put back into initiatives that lessen damage and aid in ecological restoration.

Canadians can sign up for the ECCC's free updates to stay up to date on government initiatives to safeguard the environment.