By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Trans Mountain will perform a routine integrity investigation near a section of its mainline pipeline 12 kilometres north of Blue River on July 23rd.
The company will expose the pipe using excavators and hand digging, and use a vacuum truck and air lance tools to clear away loose dirt. The dig site will be reclaimed to pre-disturbance conditions once work is completed, according to the operations and maintenance report the company filed with the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).
In order to access the site, Trans Mountain will make use of seven vehicle crossings, says the report. The report does not specify which vehicle crossings will be used, and Trans Mountain did not immediately respond to The Goat’s questions about the crossings. However, a media spokesperson for the company told The Goat that the site is in a non-populated area, and no impacts to vehicular traffic are expected.
The integrity dig is a standard process for ensuring pipelines are safe and compliant with CER requirements, the spokesperson added.
“We initiate integrity digs after running an in-line inspection tool through the pipeline,” the spokesperson wrote. “If the tool reports a result that warrants a visual inspection, we may follow up with an integrity dig. It involves exposing a buried section of our pipeline in order to carry out a visual inspection and if necessary, make a repair.”While the report initially filed with the CER says there are unresolved third-party concerns about the dig, this statement was due to a clerical error, according to the company spokesperson. Trans Mountain has since sent an information report to the CER confirming that there are no outstanding third-party concerns about the dig, and to ensure that the rest of the report is accurate.
