The highly-contested Coastal Gaslink pipeline, has been fined $590,000 for non-compliance with its environmental assessment certificate. .
This isn't the first time - in September 2023, TC Energy - the pipeline's constructor - was fined $346,000 for erosion and sediment control issues, and for providing "false and misleading" information in inspection records.
The deficiencies were identified during inspections along the pipeline construction route in April and May 2022.
Coastal Gaslink responded to that 2023 fine saying the false information was "an unintentional and regrettable error".
Prior to that, TC energy was fined 3 other times as well over the course of construction - for failing to adequately control erosion and sediment.
As a result of the previous concerns, the Environmental Office says they prioritized the Coastal Gaslink Project for compliance monitoring, with nearly 100 inspections carried out along the pipeline , leading to 59 warnings and 30 orders - including 13 stop-work orders.
With the latest penalties, this makes approximately 1.3 million dollars in fines to the company.
As the latest fine, The Environmental Assessment Office issued 10 penalties totalling $590,000 to Coastal GasLink on Sept. 11, 2024.
The penalties concern deficiencies with erosion and sediment control measures identified during inspections conducted in April and May 2023.
Coastal Gaslink has said in response, that as soon as the issues were identified in the latest inspection, action was taken to correct it, and that since Fall 2023, they have been compliant with the EAO on erosion and sediment control.
Although the pipeline is now complete, Coastal Gaslink said in a statement that they are currently focused on safely completing cleanup, reclamation and permanent erosion and sediment control installation activities along the route, which is on track to be completed in the fall.
