It’s important to clarify the facts about our operations and proposed compressor station at Mount Mulligan. (“Valleycliffe residents gather to oppose compressor station plan,” June 24)
FortisBC and its predecessors – BC Gas and Terasen Gas – have safely operated 11 compressor stations across B.C. for more than 40 years. We’ve safely operated the existing natural gas pipeline that runs near Valleycliffe for more than 25 years.
The Mount Mulligan site is located 1.8 kilometres from the nearest residences and even farther away from local schools and hospitals. By comparison, our Eagle Mountain compressor station in Coquitlam has co-existed with the community for more than two decades, and is located just 800 metres from residences.
There have been questions about the safety of our compressor station in the event of a natural disaster such as a wildfire. We’ve never experienced an incident where public safety was at risk from our operations. That’s thanks to the strong monitoring systems and robust processes we’ve had in place for decades.
Our stations are specifically built so there is no risk of sparks or ignition sources that could cause a fire on the facility grounds; a fire buffer would insulate the station from external wildfires. In the event a wildfire in the area could impact operations, we will have internal fire suppression systems in place to protect the facility and can shut it down remotely to stop the flow of gas immediately.
We plan for every possible emergency event – no matter how unlikely. We’ll develop a comprehensive site-specific emergency management plan outlining safety processes and procedures to deal with potential issues that could be faced at the Mount Mulligan site. That plan will be tested regularly and refined through simulation exercises with our staff and local first responders, during the lifetime of the facility.
With respect to questions about air quality, an analysis of the Mount Mulligan site conducted by experts from SNC-Lavalin concluded that the facility will not impact human health. For example, the maximum annual quantity of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) would be 7.9 parts per billion. That is well below the strict limit laid out in B.C.’s Ambient Air Quality Objectives of 32 parts per billion.
We would like to continue to have an open and fact-based dialogue about our proposed Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project. If you hear a claim that you would like us to address, call me at 1-855-380-5784 or come talk to me at our community office downtown. Alternatively, visit our website, talkingenergy.ca.
Elliot Moses
FortisBC Community Relations Manager
