New BrunswickEnvironmental inspectors found nine per cent of gas stations they examined in the province weren’t doing required daily checks of the amount of fuel in their underground tanks, according to the New Brunswick environment minister. Violations came to light in inspections launched in wake of major Woodstock gas tank leakSilas Brown · CBC News · Posted: Nov 21, 2025 2:39 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Environment Minister Gilles LePage did not clarify if the gas stations with violations would be fined. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)Environmental inspectors found that nine per cent of gas stations they examined in the province weren’t doing daily checks of the amount of fuel in their underground tanks, according to the New Brunswick environment minister. That raises concerns about possible repeats of a major spill in Woodstock last year that dumped 189,000 litres of gasoline into the ground, opposition leaders say.“This is the first line of defence to ensure that leaks aren’t occurring into the aquifer and groundwater, which could contaminate people as well,” Green Party Leader David Coon.“So that’s a significant number.”Coon received the numbers from Environment Minister Gilles LePage after requesting more details about inspections launched following the spill at the Irving gas station on Beardsley Road in Woodstock.In October, the department said it had inspected 91 gas stations since April, and 47 of them — more than half — were violating the rules. WATCH | ‘This is the first line of defence,’ Green leader says:9 per cent of inspected N.B. gas stations fail to check fuel levels dailyThe opposition is calling for closer monitoring of fuel retailers who are required to check the levels of underground tanks daily to prevent spills from going unnoticed.According to a Nov. 19 letter from LePage to Coon with more details, nine gas stations were “reconciling” their amounts — comparing what was in the tanks with recorded sales to detect leaks — every other day or even less frequently.“Owners were required to comply immediately and conduct daily reconciliation,” the minister wrote in the letter.Inspectors also found nine “ghost tanks” — tanks not registered, licensed or inspected — in seven locations, the letter said.“I would say that the compliance monitoring and enforcement functions of the Environment Department are not achieving what they should be achieving,” Coon said. “Otherwise we wouldn’t see those kinds of results.”The department said in October that 16 tickets were issued, with fines totalling $19,272, and 32 gas stations were required to develop compliance plans explaining how they would do better.As of October, 19 were still working through those plans.LePage did not say clearly what the criteria were for levying fines.The inspections in the wake of the Woodstock leak were on top of regular inspections.Asked why the more routine process didn’t uncover the problems, LePage said it was up to station owners “to report to us what they’re doing and what they’re not doing if they’re not complying, and sometimes they’re not,” he said.“Those are the fines that we’re remitting right now.”In October, LePage said of gas stations violating the law that the department would “hit them hard” with penalties.He said Friday that further fines were possible in some cases.“What could be fined right away was fined right away,” he said.The 91 gas stations inspected so far represent more than one-fifth of the approximately 440 stations in the province.LePage said a third wave of inspections will be happening soon. Progressive Conservative Opposition Leader Glen Savoie said he was concerned about a possible repeat of the Woodstock leak.“This could happen elsewhere,” he said.“It’s up to this government to act to make sure that they’re getting this thing back on track.”ABOUT THE AUTHORSilas Brown is a Fredericton-based video journalist. You can reach him at silas.brown@cbc.ca.
9 per cent of inspected N.B. gas stations werent checking tanks daily
