City council chambers were near capacity Monday night (Nov. 3), as residents of Brentwood Park came out to voice opposition to proposed upgrades to the FortisBC natural gas pipeline running through their neighbourhood.
Sean Rodrigues and Frank Ong spoke on the group's behalf and presented council with a petition against the routing of the line, arguing it should be built through an industrial area like Lougheed Highway, not through a residential one.
"We're talking about stewardship here. If we say our children are our future, then why would we have this pipe 70 feet from our children's pillows?" Ong told the NOW.
The 20-kilometre renovation project however, is needed, according to FortisBC spokesperson Trevor Boudreau.
"Studies have shown it's nearing the end of its life. Right now, it runs two streets south (of Brentwood) under an alleyway," he said. "The new alignment will go north a couple of streets and it will be in the road, not under any houses."
But for Rodrigues, the size and pressure of the pipe is worrisome.
"It's 30 inches in diameter. That's bigger than a hula-hoop. It has almost double the volume and twice the pressure of the existing gas line that goes through our neighbourhood," he said.
Boudreau told the NOW safety is still FortisBC's number one priority. "We have never had a safety issue in our natural gas system and we don't want to. It's about building a better pipeline that's constructed to today's safety standards."
Boudreau added FortisBC considered six other routes, but it was this one that ensured the least impact on surrounding communities, was mindful of the environment and made economic sense for customers.
"The best way to meet all those objectives was to go along the line of the existing route with some slight modifications. Lougheed Highway wasn't an option because of the horrible traffic implications."
Another area of concern for Rodrigues has been the consultation process. In an information package prepared for council, a letter reads "FortisBC has not been forthright and transparent with the residents of Highlawn Drive...appeared to be a weak 11th-hour attempt by FortisBC to 'tick a box' in order to satisfy their regulator."
Rodrigues alluded to the fact FortisBC sent out generalized envelopes addressed "To Occupant," letting the neighbourhood know of their intention to work on the pipeline.
"Like most, I threw it out because I didn't know what it was," he said.
But Boudreau said this isn't a case of ticking off boxes. He said FortisBC started off with face-to-face meetings with business owners and municipalities, then held four public info sessions earlier this year.
"The conversation has to be ongoing. It's not going to stop when we apply to our regulators," he said. "This is just the beginning."
Mayor Derek Corrigan and council agreed to arrange a meeting with FortisBC and have them make their case for the route.
"The ruling out of other options needs to be rationalized and they have to explain why this is the best option," Corrigan said.
FortisBC is expected to submit an application to the B.C. Utilities Commission by the end of this month. If approved, construction would start in 2018.
