Westcoast Energy has been fined for failing to prevent a fiery pipeline blast northeast of Prince George, B.C., two years ago 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-centimetre pipeline that supplies much of southern B.C. ruptured due to stress corrosion cracks on the outside surface of the pipe.
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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.
Read more: Pipeline explosion near Prince George forces about 100 evacuations from First Nation community
No one was hurt in the Oct. 9, 2018, explosion but 125 people within a two-kilometre radius had to be evacuated as a precaution.
Since the blast, Enbridge says it has completed enhanced inspections on its natural gas pipeline system to prevent similar incidents.
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