Third fine issued to Coastal GasLink project

The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has handed out the third fine in under a year to the Costal GasLink Pipeline (CGL).

The $213,600 fine follows a $170,000 fine in May and a $72,500 fine in February, bringing the running total to $456,100.

This fine was for “continued deficiencies with erosion and sediment control measures,” in Section 8, near Kitimat, which the Environmental Assessment Office said was identified in February 2022.

In July of 2022 a compliance agreement between the EAO and CGL was signed to address these concerns of erosion and sediment control, requiring CGL to “follow more proactive measures” over the remaining 100 kilometers where the ground was still unbroken.

In a statement, Costal GasLink said they “respect the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office’s (EAO) role in upholding the high regulatory standards that we are committed to meeting.”

They mentioned the project has been inspected more than 500 times with a 90% satisfaction rate, ahead of the 82% industry average.

You can find their full statement here.

Although this was only the third financial penalty handed out, the pipeline has also received 37 warnings and 17 orders since 2019.

More financial punishments from other 2022 inspections are currently being considered by the EAO.

For more information on the fine, click here.