When a company files an application with the NEB for authorization to drill, the act and the regulations that you cited stipulate that the company must submit a safety plan, an environmental protection plan and an emergency response plan to address any incidents like the one that just happened.
It would be impossible for NEB regulations to cover every activity that could potentially affect the environment when drilling at a given depth. Therefore, the philosophy when drafting regulations is to regulate with an eye to results.
The aim of regulations is to provide a safe program, to protect the public and to protect the environment. We have a responsibility to evaluate these plans from a critical and professional standpoint, with the help of NEB experts. We must be satisfied that specific standards are being met, for the public's sake.