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Alberta government lays environmental charges against natural gas processor

A Calgary company faces charges over a pipeline leak that killed fish and aquatic plants near a natural gas processing plant in northwestern Alberta.

FOX CREEK — A Calgary company faces charges over a pipeline leak that killed fish and aquatic plants near a natural gas processing plant in northwestern Alberta.

Alberta Environment alleges a pipeline owned by SemCAMS ULC released salty waste water and hydrocarbons into a creek near Fox Creek in August 2010.

A joint federal-provincial investigation found that the company failed to report the leak of 850,000 litres.

The province has laid four charges under its environmental protection act.

Environment Canada has also laid charges under the federal Fisheries Act.

SemCAMS is to make its first court appearance on April 23 in Fox Creek provincial court.

The company gathers and processes natural gas in Canada. Its assets include four plants and about 965 kilometres of pipeline in Alberta.