Irving Oil says it has reached a settlement with the federal government by pleading guilty to 34 charges relating to the misclassification of certain rail shipments of crude oil and the training of employees in connection with the deadly Lac-Megantic derailment in 2013 in which 47 people died.
The company was fined more than $400,000 and ordered to pay almost $3.6 million for research programs in the field of safety standards under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and its regulations.
The train that derailed in the small Quebec community was destined for the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John.
‘A joint investigation…revealed Irving Oil did not comply with all applicable safety requirements by failing to determine the classification of dangerous goods for the crude oil it transported by train, and that the shipping documents on board the trains were erroneous,” a release from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada reads.
“Irving Oil also failed to adequately train its employees in the transportation of dangerous goods, thereby committing an offence contrary to the Act.”
Public Prosecution Service Canada says the offences happened over an eight month period from November 2012 to July 2013.
Irving Oil says the misclassification of crude oil did not cause or contribute to the railway accident in any way.
“My thoughts continue to go out to the community of Lac-Megantic and all those affected by this tragedy,” Minister of Transport Marc Garneau says.
“Today, we close another chapter in this tragic event through a settlement that we have reached with Irving Oil.”
