The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has issued a second administrative penalty to Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd. (CGL) for non-compliance with conditions and orders related to erosion and sediment control under its environmental assessment certificate.
The fine of $170,100 was issued following several inspections by compliance and enforcement officers with the EAO. Inspections have found repeated issues with erosion and sediment control. Several inspections between October 2021 and April 2022 in various locations along the construction right-of-way found ongoing non-compliance related to erosion and sediment control.
CGL’s 2014 environmental assessment certificate requires implementation of an environmental management plan, including measures to protect sensitive wetlands and waterways from sediment caused by erosion that can negatively impact water quality and fish habitat.
The EAO office said it takes very seriously matters of compliance with the conditions of all environmental assessment certificates. More than 40 inspections have been carried out along the CGL pipeline construction route since the project began in 2019, with 37 warnings, 16 orders and two administrative penalties issued.
The financial penalties mark an escalation of enforcement action to address the issues. A first administrative penalty of $72,500 was issued to CGL in February 2022.
The EAO continues to actively monitor the conditions of the environmental assessment certificate for the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project to ensure potential impacts to the environment and wildlife are mitigated.
The Coastal GasLink Pipeline project is a natural gas pipeline approximately 650 kilometres long. It will connect natural gas facilities west of Dawson Creek to the LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export facility near Kitimat that is also under construction.
Russ says
Take this with a grain of salt, I am a Enviromental Professional and often at odds with EAO. They will red flag something that is a non issue and totally ignore issues that have lasting implications. Most of their field staff are young recent graduates with little field experience and others have no related professional scope. Also 40ninspecrions since 2019??? The Enviromental Monitor that works daily onnthe project has a much much better understanding of how things are going and they have a professional duty to ensure compliance.
We won’t allow government to spend the money needed to hire professionals and donthe job properly.