Coastal GasLink hit with another fine, this time for erosion, sediment control

Coastal GasLink has been fined $340,000 by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office for issues related to erosion and sediment control.

Coastal GasLink, which is owned by Calgary-based TC Energy Corp., said the fines stem from four inspections of its ongoing pipeline construction project that occurred in April and May of 2022.

Those inspections took place before Coastal GasLink signed a compliance agreement requiring the company to ensure erosion and sediment control measures are incorporated into its construction plans.

"In 2023, we continue to make significant strides forward in how we manage (erosion and sediment control), including through this year’s challenging spring melt season," the company said in a statement Thursday.

"We continue to work closely with our regulators to improve and adapt our environmental protection measures as we look ahead to the final cleanup of our project route."

Coastal GasLink is a 670-km pipeline spanning northern British Columbia that will carry natural gas across the province to the LNG Canada processing and export facility in Kitimat, B.C.

The project is now more than 94 per cent complete and on track for mechanical completion at the end of this year, the company said Thursday.

Erosion and sediment control have continued to be ongoing issues for the project. Coastal GasLink has been subject to more than $450,000 in fines from the B.C. government since construction began on the pipeline in 2019, all related to dirt and sediment from the project entering local wetlands and creeks.

Most recently, erosion and sediment issues resulted in a handful of stop work orders, which have since been lifted, by the B.C. government this spring.

Also on Thursday, Coastal GasLink said it received a $6,000 fine from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office for what the company said was an "administrative reporting error" that occurred between Oct. 2022 and Jan. 2023.

The company said the error was unintentional and has since been corrected.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2023.

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