Coastal GasLink statement on B.C. Environmental Assessment Office orders

Updated: July 14, 2022

Coastal GasLink and the Minister of Environment enter into Compliance Agreement

Protecting the environment is a fundamental value for Coastal GasLink, and our attention and respect for the land, culture, and communities is a core part of the extraordinary legacy we are committed to building.

We have been working closely with the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) to align our construction to meet the regulatory agency’s requirements and expectations and have entered into a Compliance Agreement with the provincial Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy which applies to approximately 100-km of the 670-km project route.

This Agreement comes following a B.C. EAO inspection report and enforcement order in May where our team took immediate action to remedy areas of non-compliance noted by the EAO compliance and enforcement staff. Our teams have continued to work hard to meet the requirements, standards and expectations of our project. Recently, over 400 Indigenous and non-Indigenous Coastal GasLink workforce members have completed erosion and sediment control training, which will ensure that no matter the circumstance, our team will employ their skill set each day to treat every situation as uniquely as the environment that surrounds us.

As we progress construction, the Compliance Agreement will provide a strong framework and greater clarity on the requirements necessary to maintain our compliance and allow our team to continue to fulfil our commitment to protecting the environment.

Under the previous Environmental Assessment Act, prior to 2018, similar compliance agreements have been implemented on major projects in British Columbia. This Compliance Agreement allows our team and contractors to develop execution plans that ensure that erosion and sediment control measures are incorporated into our construction work as it is executed in the field.

At Coastal GasLink, we are committed to achieving the highest standards of environmental protection during construction, and for the life of the project. This commitment is stronger than ever, as we focus on completing the project in 2023 and building an extraordinary legacy that our Indigenous and local communities across northern B.C., the province, and Canada can be proud of.

May 10, 2022

Coastal GasLink is committed to the construction of the project in a safe and environmentally responsible manner and recognizes that protecting the environment is a fundamental value for our Indigenous and northern community partners and all British Columbians. It’s a value we share and are working hard with our prime contractors to meet.

We respect the findings of the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) in its recent inspection report and enforcement order. Along with our prime contractor, immediate action to implement changes was taken to remedy the EAO reports findings of non-compliance. We continue to cooperate with the EAO and all other regulatory agencies to meet their requirements, standards and expectations.

Coastal GasLink is a complex project and is subject to some of the most stringent regulatory requirements in the world. Given the scale of the project, the dynamics of erosion and sediment control and the terrain the project crosses as well as temperature and ever-changing weather conditions, we have experienced challenges managing erosion and sediment control. Erosion and sediment control is a constantly changing challenge. We adapt along the way and are actively evaluating locations along the project that require attention and are working to ensure that erosion and sediment control are managed appropriately. Despite these challenges, we continue to protect the environment and work towards compliance with the requirements of our regulators.