Smell of gas, potential spill shuts down Trans Mountain pipeline in Surrey

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – A portion of the Trans Mountain pipeline was shut down in Surrey after crews received reports of a gas-like odour in the area, as well as a gas-like substance found in a ditch near the line.

British Columbia’s environment ministry has since confirmed the gas-like substance found in the area just west of the Port Mann Bridge has been traced to a private home.

Earlier Sunday, the ministry had said it was notified about the smell of gas at 1:15 a.m. Sunday, and that a vacuum truck was on scene to clean up minor “sheens.” The pipeline had been shut down as a precautionary measure, it and Trans Mountain confirmed.

Assistant Fire Chief Shelley Morris with Surrey Fire Services says crews were called out around 11:00 p.m. Saturday.

“Surrey Fire responded with a couple of our hazmat trucks, and that’s when Trans Mountain was alerted,” Morris told NEWS 1130, adding fire crews remained on scene to help boom and corral what was found.

At the time, Morris said there was what looked to be some residual gasoline in a ditch, but added it was hard to tell whether the substance was dumped there, came from a vehicle, or was from the pipeline.

In an email to NEWS 1130, Trans Mountain confirmed crews and equipment were deployed after an odour complaint and reports of a “gasoline-like substance” in a ditch near the pipeline was received.

The existing Trans Mountain pipeline was owned by Kinder Morgan Canada until earlier this year, when the federal government bought it for $4.5 billion.

The Federal Court of Appeal has quashed Ottawa’s approval of a plan to triple the pipeline’s capacity, ruling it was done without a proper review of environmental impacts or adequate consultation of Indigenous people.

-With files from Lauren Boothby

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