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N.S. Health moves to thwart thefts of heating oil from clinics and hospitals

Nova Scotia Health is putting locking caps on all its fuel tanks following a theft last month from a clinic in Parrsboro.

Locking caps to be installed on all its fuel tanks following a theft in Parrsboro

Blair Rhodes · CBC News ·
outside oil tank
A heating oil tank behind a building is shown in this file photo. The price of the fuel has risen dramatically this year in Nova Scotia. (Laura Meader/CBC)

Nova Scotia Health is putting locking caps on all its fuel tanks following a theft last month from a clinic in Parrsboro.

A thief made off with an undetermined amount of heating oil from a tank at the South Cumberland clinic site. The theft caused some oil to spill into the surrounding soil. To date, it's cost just under $9,000 to clean up the spill. Those costs are from a budget separate from the money used to fund health care operations.

RCMP have charged a 56-year-old man from New Prospect, N.S., with theft under $5,000.

The man was charged after police released video showing a GMC Jimmy driving away from the clinic on Oct. 16, spilling oil as it went. He is due to appear in Nova Scotia provincial court in Amherst in February.

In addition to the locking caps, Nova Scotia Health is looking at other ways to prevent any further thefts, as the price of heating oil continues to rise.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Blair Rhodes

Reporter

Blair Rhodes has been a journalist for more than 40 years, the last 31 with CBC. His primary focus is on stories of crime and public safety. He can be reached at blair.rhodes@cbc.ca

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