In a letter last week (Pipeline can't handle the stress, May 6, 2014) Chris Peter questions the safety of the Northern Gateway Pipeline as a result of an elevation drop.
It's an important question and one I am more than happy to address.
During the preliminary planning process, Northern Gateway's engineering experts addressed the issues raised by Mr. Peter and they outlined the solutions that would be developed during detailed engineering. These plans incorporate advanced science and include redundancies to ensure safety.
In addition, Northern Gateway has voluntarily added tunnels to the pipeline route to significantly reduce the elevation change from the Coast Mountain Range to the proposed Kitimat Terminal site.
It's important to note that all of these issues were carefully reviewed by the independent Joint Review Panel as part of the most comprehensive review of its kind in Canadian history. And the JRP determined that Northern Gateway should be built, subject to 209 conditions.
At Northern Gateway, we take our commitment to safety very seriously. It's our first priority. That's why we have used leading experts to develop a safer, better pipeline that is specifically designed for British Columbia.
Ivan Giesbrecht
Manager, Communications
Northern Gateway Pipelines
