A new routing of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion through Burnaby mountain in Vancouver Canada, considered by pipeline company is becoming a burning issue. It will be less disrupting for residents of the area, however geologists worry about drilling through a mountain with potential active faults and landslide susceptible areas.
Kinder Morgan, a leading company in pipeline construction, based in Texas, is examining the option of re-routing the Trans Mountain expansion and drilling through Burnaby Mountain, connecting the tanker terminal to the main pipeline in Vancouver, Canada. The new routing will avoid the crossing of the Westridge neighbourhood, where oil was spilled back in 2007. According to the initial plan, the pipeline would go around the mountain, but according to Trans Mountain spokesperson, Ali Hounsell, the company is "required and obligated to optimize the study corridor" meaning "to minimize the impact as much as possible to people and the environment". To achieve that, Kinder Morgan is reviewing the construction of a tunnel through the mountain, using horizontal directional drilling, linking the Westridge terminal and the existing oil storage facility.
However, a report ordered by the company recognizes significant stability problems and even refers to an abandoned similar project in the past. The report conducted by BGC Engineering, reviewed old geological surveys of the area, disclosing that geologists were not conclusive about the existence of active geologic faults in the area, or the occurrence of landslides in the past, suggesting additional geological surveys. In support of the geologists' uncertainty, come many recorded cases of ground movement and slope stability problems. Among those, the City of Burnaby encountered alignment and grade issues in a water main built on a slope of the mountain, while a school building situated within a slide area was severely damaged and abandoned after "permanent ground displacement" in the 1947 Vancouver Island earthquake. Even more recently, Shell Oil Co. and Trans Mountain Pipelines dropped their plans for installing two major oil-related facilities, not named in the report. Additionally, authorities had always maintenance issues with the road and railway network in the area, due to cracking and settling of the ground.
Burnaby Mayor, Derek Corrigan, requested the National Energy Board to reject Kinder Morgan's proposal as incomplete, earlier this year, however the Board considered the re-routing application complete. What remains to be seen is whether it is possible to actually drill through the mountain.
Sources: BusinessVancouver, VancouverObserver
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