Husky oil spill: Sask. auditor says pipeline regulation still needs work

Saskatchewan's provincial auditor says the government has to ensure the Husky Energy oil spill cleanup is done appropriately in a timely fashion.

In 2012, the auditor made seven recommendations after finding that the government didn't have good processes in place to regulate Saskatchewan's pipelines.

"In that industry, there's a set of standards that are set by Canada. So we use those as our bench mark or our criteria. And we found significant gaps compared to that criteria," Judy Ferguson, who became Saskatchewan's provincial auditor in 2015, explained to CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

Along with making sure there are written policies for building and maintaining pipelines, the auditor recommended that pipeline operations should be monitored rather than allowing operators to submit self-assessments.

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While changes have happened since those recommendations were made, five are still waiting to be acted on.

"The purpose of regulation and adequate regulation is to protect the people and the environment. And we think it's the government's job to make sure they're doing that appropriately."

Ferguson said while the government still has work to do on regulating pipelines, the most important thing with the Husky Energy oil spill in the North Saskatchewan River is to make sure cleanup is done appropriately in a timely fashion.