Westcoast Energy Inc., Calgary, Canada, has been fined for failing to prevent a fiery pipeline blast northeast of Prince George, B.C., in 2018 that led to natural gas shortages in the province through the winter.
The Enbridge subsidiary was issued the $40,000 fine after the Canada Energy Regulator determined Westcoast did not adequately implement a stress corrosion monitoring program that would have identified the problem section of the pipe.
In its final report released in March, the Transportation Safety Board said the 90-centimeter pipeline that supplies much of southern B.C. ruptured due to stress corrosion cracks on the outside surface of the pipe. The safety board said the company didn’t follow its own procedures in technical assessment and approvals before deciding to defer the inspection that may have identified the cracks.
No one was hurt in the Oct. 9, 2018, explosion, but 125 people within a two-kilometer radius had to be evacuated as a precaution.
An Enbridge spokeswoman says the company has paid the fine and understands the concerns and disruptions faced by people living in the area.
“Since the Shelley incident, we’ve completed a comprehensive pipeline integrity program on our natural gas pipeline system in B.C. to prevent similar incidents from occurring and to significantly improve pipeline safety. This is the most aggressive integrity program ever undertaken by Enbridge on its pipeline system in B.C.,” says Tracie Kenyon, Enbridge’s senior corporate communications advisor.
Kenyon says the company has taken steps to ensure the safety of its natural gas system.
For more information:
Enbridge Inc.
https://www.enbridge.com
