By Ketki Saxena
Investing.com --TC Energy Corp. said it has has voluntarily ceased construction on a 20-kilometer segment of the Coastal GasLink project in response to concerns surrounding erosion and sediment control, This section of pipeline is situated near the Little Anzac River, north of Prince George in British Columbia.
The area has experienced difficult spring melt conditions as a result of heavy snowfall this past winter, rapidly increasing temperatures, and substantial rainfall. These factors have contributed to ongoing erosion and sediment control issues that have plagued the Coastal GasLink pipeline construction over the last year.
To address these challenges, BC's Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has been actively involved in compliance enforcement actions regarding erosion controls for the project. Prior to recent stop-work orders issued by EAO on May 4th and 5th, TC Energy (TSX:TRP) had already proactively paused construction in an effort to mitigate environmental risks associated with their work.
In addition to halting construction activities temporarily, TC Energy initiated an independent review by a third party into its current erosion and sediment control plans for this particular region. The purpose of this review is aimed at enhancing existing strategies for managing environmental impacts related to pipeline development.
Despite setbacks caused by these measures along one portion of the route, progress continues safely on other segments spanning across its total length of 670 kilometers. The completion timeline remains unchanged; Coastal GasLink is expected to be fully operational before year-end.