Spectra Energy

An Open Letter to Families in Northeast British Columbia Regarding the Safe Transportation and Handling of Sour Gas

By Gary Weilinger, VP, External Affairs, Spectra Energy

On behalf of more than 900 employees in British Columbia, Spectra Energy is concerned that a report by the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre entitled “Safety Buffers between Gas Wells and Pipelines and Public Schools”, and subsequent media coverage last week, may have been a source of concern – even fear – for the safety of our children at nine schools in northeast B.C. as a result of possible exposure to sour gas.

First and foremost, safety underscores everything we do at Spectra Energy. The safe handling and processing of sour gas in B.C. has been at the core of our business since 1957 and it is this focus on safety and reliability which guides the company. It is crucial to note, that our Spectra Energy employees and families – not only live and work in the communities mentioned in the report, but we are raising our children here too. Safety is not something we take lightly, and our employees are dedicated to ensuring everyone comes home safely at the end of the day, including all community members.

It is true that all natural gas in B.C. contains varying concentrations of CO₂ and/or H₂S – often referred to as sour gas. It is also true that this region has an extensive network of facilities to gather and process sour gas – expertly maintained, highly controlled, and monitored. Our trained professionals understand the risks associated with managing this important resource and do not take this responsibility for granted. Maintaining the safety of our pipelines is at the core of our business. We know there is no room for pipeline safety issues. We take this so seriously, we are constantly working to enhance our system to ensure a problem never occurs. Our relentless pursuit of zero incidents and zero injuries is well known, and, guides our work every day.

Every year, we invest $220-$270 million per year in Canada alone, dedicated to the inspection and maintenance of our facilities. That’s a choice we make.

We are committed to operating and maintaining a safe and reliable network of pipelines across B.C. We monitor the integrity and operations of our system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from our control centre right here in northeast B.C. We also work closely with first responders and local authorities towards the advancement of our emergency preparedness program. Further to that, we have faith that we are governed by the most competent regulators in B.C. and Canada who share our commitment to safety and set high industry standards.

Furthermore, our pipeline system in B.C. has evolved based on extensive public consultation and regulatory oversight, and, we would not place the public or our employees at risk by exposure to sour gas from our facilities. Regrettably we were not consulted in the development of the University of Victoria report, and believe that working with local authorities and municipal planners is extremely important regarding the development of natural gas in northeast B.C. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the recommendations outlined in the report.

Please rest assured that our employees are trained professionals who come to work every day with safety top of mind. This attention to safety also drives our desire to work with others in the industry to ensure we are constantly improving. For example, we are currently working with industry and provincial government representatives to study air quality in northeast B.C. We look forward to sharing those results with you towards the advancement of health and safety of local residents – especially as we do our part to meet the growing demand for natural gas in the future.

We welcome opportunities to share even more information about our operations, system design, monitoring, location of our facilities and most importantly – our emergency preparedness plans.

For more information, please contact:

Manager, Community and Aboriginal Relations, Steve Henderson – 250-960-2036

Community Coordinator – Fort Nelson, Angus Dickie – 250-233-6385

Community Coordinator – Fort St. John, Jay Morrison – 250-262-3606

Community Coordinator – Chetwynd, Glenn Auger- 250-788-4729;

Team Leader, Public Awareness, Debbie Clyne – 604-691-5063

Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Brian Lamond – 250-262-3468                                                      

Media Inquiries – Peter Murchland, Director of Communications, 403-699-1506; Nirmala Naidoo, Team Leader, External Communications, 403-699-1376

 

 

 

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