British Columbia recorded a liability of over half a billion dollars for the estimated cost of cleaning up contaminated sites in the province, including orphan oil and gas wells.
The $505-million liability for fiscal year 2020 was revealed in the province’s summary financial statements. It was highlighted by B.C. auditor general Michael Pickup in his March 2 report on financial audit work.
Contaminated sites, anything from abandoned industrial sites to pulp mills or maintenance yards, are where the concentration of toxic chemicals or other material in the soil or water go beyond allowable levels. They can be dangerous for human health and environmentally damaging.