British Columbia

Enbridge says it will begin B.C. pipeline cleanup, but gives no timeline

Enbridge says it will begin cleaning up the site of a natural gas pipeline explosion in Prince George, but says it does not have a timeline for how long the task will take.

Several major industries, institutions switched energy sources after the incident

A pipeline explosion near Prince George in B.C.'s northern Interior created a fireball seen for miles around on Oct. 9. (@Dhruv7491/Twitter)

Enbridge Inc. says it will begin cleaning up the site of a natural gas pipeline explosion in Prince George, B.C., but the company says it does not have a timeline for how long the task will take.

In a news release Saturday, the company says the Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into Tuesday's incident, has opened the area to begin site-safety work and clean-up planning.

An explosion Tuesday at an underground Enbridge pipeline temporarily shut down two natural gas pipelines.

The blast knocked out Enbridge's 91-centimetre line, but the Calgary company's 76-centimetre pipeline near the accident site is supplying natural gas on a reduced basis.

The incident led several major industries and institutions to switch energy sources, reduce operations or shut down temporarily.

Enbridge says it recognizes the incident has had a significant impact on the communities where the company operates, and it's working with those communities to make sure their needs are being met.