IBC to provide data to governments on domestic oil spills

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) on Jan. 1, 2008 is launching a project that will accurately track domestic oil spills in Atlantic Canada for the first time. The data will be provided to governments as part of an effort to introduce and strengthen legislation for the installation, maintenance and replacement of domestic oil tanks.”IBC is undertaking this project because there is a clear need to understand the extent of the growing problem of domestic oil spills,” said Don Forgeron, vice president, Atlantic, of IBC. “While individual insurance companies have collected data on domestic oil tank spills for some time, this project introduces consistent reporting across the industry. “We believe that this is the first step in demonstrating the need for stronger legislative action to prevent spills in the future.” Currently, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have legislation dealing with the installation and replacement of domestic oil tanks. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not have such legislation.IBC said it would be advocating for similar legislation in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, while at the same time providing valuable data that can be used to potentially improve current programs in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador.Most domestic oil tanks hold around 1,000 litres of oil, and just one litre of leaked oil can contaminate one million litres of drinking water, IBC notes in its release.