A B.C. First Nation near the explosion of a natural gas transmission pipeline owned by Enbridge has filed a lawsuit against the energy company.
Chief Dominic Frederick of Lheidli TB次元官网网址檈nneh First Nation near Prince George said their B.C. Supreme Court civil lawsuit asks for a permanent injunction preventing Enbridge from operating the pipeline in their territory and reserves.
B次元官网网址淭he explosion has breached the Lheidli TB次元官网网址檈nnehB次元官网网址檚 trust and confidence in Enbridge to deliver safe and reliable energy through its reserve and traditional territory,B次元官网网址� he said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Other pipelines running parallel, including an oil pipeline, could also have caught fire and exploded, he said.
None of the allegations has been proven in court and Enbridge has not yet filed a statement of defence.
On Oct. 9, in a pipeline that provides natural gas to about 1.5 million customers in B.C., Washington state and Oregon.
Frederick said the incident unleashed a massive fireball, the heat and ash from which was felt by members living near the site of the explosion. It also produced ground vibrations rattling windows in nearby homes and the band office over two kilometres away, he said.
B次元官网网址淲e are not opposed to industrial activity in the energy sector but we are opposed to unsafe transportation of hydrocarbons. We shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be a distant afterthought to Enbridge post-explosion. Our lives matter.B次元官网网址�
The lawsuit also seeks a mandatory injunction requiring the company to immediately dismantle and remove the pipeline from the First Nation territory and reserves, and restore the lands to their natural state.
It asks for damages for nuisance, trespass and negligence, and a declaration that the Lheidli TB次元官网网址檈nneh First Nation B次元官网网址渉as never been consulted, or alternatively, adequately consulted, with respect to the construction, operation, repair or return to service of the pipeline.B次元官网网址�
Enbridge said in a statement that itB次元官网网址檚 not in the public interest to stop operating a critical piece of energy infrastructure that millions of people in B.C. and the U.S. Pacific Northwest rely on every day.
The company has undertaken a rigorous inspection of their natural gas pipeline system in B.C. since the blast, it said.
Enbridge is committed to fostering a strengthened relationship with Indigenous communities, including the Lheidli TB次元官网网址檈nneh First Nation, which is built upon openness, respect and mutual trust, it said.
B次元官网网址淲e notified the Lheidli TB次元官网网址檈nneh First Nation of the pipeline incident within nine minutes and immediately began to provide the community with support,B次元官网网址� it said in the statement, adding Enbridge CEO Al Monaco has been in contact with Frederick to negotiate a settlement and an agreement.
Enbridge spokeswoman Tracie Kenyon said the incident is still being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board.
The Canadian Press
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