As Manitoba's auditor general, Carol Bellringer, found in a recent audit of enforcement activities between 1998 and 2005, a regulatory charade of sorts existed for more than a decade. New layers of regulation have been announced at regular intervals, while Manitoba Conservation staff lacked the personnel, the technology and even the necessary co-operation from other government departments to manage their existing workload.

The auditor general's office looked at 26 files representing five per cent of the storage permits issued during the audit period. Although site inspections are part of the permitting process, in 50 per cent of the cases reviewed, the inspector arrived after approval was granted and construction had begun. Bellringer cited cases where the earthen storage site had changed, the storage size was double what had been applied for, or built significantly smaller than required for the size of the operation.

It amounts to a breach of public trust and, ironically, the one most harmed is industry. Regulation without enforcement renders its chief defence moot. It not only loses credibility with the public, it will now bear the brunt of political efforts to be perceived as chasing 'green' instead of greenbacks.