Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Obligations of Pipeline Companies (SOR/2016-133)

The National Energy Board, pursuant to subsections 48(2)Footnote ^a and 112(5)Footnote ^b of the National Energy Board ActFootnote ^c, makes the annexed National Energy Board Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Obligations of Pipeline Companies.

• Return to footnote ^aS.C. 2015, c. 21, s. 15(1)

• Return to footnote ^bS.C. 2015, c. 21, s. 34(2)

• Return to footnote ^cR.S., c. N-7

Calgary, May 5, 2016

La secrétaire de l’Office national de l’énergie, Sheri Young Secretary of the National Energy Board

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Natural Resources, pursuant to subsection 48(2)Footnote ^a of the National Energy Board ActFootnote ^c, approves the annexed National Energy Board Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Obligations of Pipeline Companies, made by the National Energy Board.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

authorization

authorization means the authorization referred to in subsection 335(1) or paragraph 335(2)(a) of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act. (autorisation)

facility

facility means any structure, highway, private road, railway, irrigation ditch, drain, drainage system, sewer, dike, telephone line, telegraph line, telecommunication line, line for the transmission of electricity or pipe for the transmission of hydrocarbons or any other substance. (installation)

pipe

pipe means a pipe that is part of a pipeline and that is used or is to be used for the transmission of hydrocarbons or any other commodity. (conduite)

prescribed area

prescribed area has the meaning assigned by section 2 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations. (zone réglementaire)

working day

working day means any day that is not a Saturday or a Sunday or other holiday. (jour ouvrable)

One-call Centre

Marginal note:Obligation to be a member

• 2 (1) If a pipeline company operates a pipeline within a geographical area where a one-call centre exists, the pipeline company must be a member of that centre.

• Marginal note:One-call centre

  (2) A one-call centre is an organization that, for the purposes of protecting the underground infrastructures of its members from damage and ensuring public safety,

  • (a) receives locate requests from within a defined geographical area; and

  • (b) notifies its members that may be affected by any proposed construction or any proposed activity that would cause a ground disturbance and that are the subject of a locate request of that construction or activity.

Consent

Marginal note:Inform person of decision

• 3 (1) If a pipeline company receives a request for the written consent referred to in paragraph 7(1)(a) or 10(1)(a) or section 12 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations, the pipeline company must, within 10 working days after receiving the request, inform the person that made the request whether the consent has been granted or refused and, in the case of a refusal, the reasons for the refusal.

• Marginal note:Contents of consent

  (2) When a person makes a request to the pipeline company for the written consent referred to in paragraph 7(1)(a) or 10(1)(a) of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations that contains the technical and other information that enable the pipeline company to determine whether the construction or activity would impair the pipeline’s safety and security, the pipeline company may grant its consent subject to any conditions necessary for the protection of property and the environment, the safety and security of the public and of the company’s employees or the pipeline’s safety and security.

• Marginal note:Amendment or addition of conditions

  (3) At any time during the construction of a facility or the activity that causes a ground disturbance, the pipeline company may add conditions or amend the conditions referred to in subsection (2) if it determines that additions or amendments are necessary to ensure the pipeline’s safety and security.

Obligation to Provide Information

Marginal note:Information – application for authorization

4 If a person that intends to construct a facility across, on, along or under a pipeline, engage in an activity that would cause a ground disturbance within the prescribed area of a pipeline or operate a vehicle or mobile equipment across a pipeline has made a request to the pipeline company for the information that is necessary to make an application to the Regulator for authorization, the pipeline company must, within 10 working days after receiving the request, give the person all the information, and provide all reasonable assistance, that is necessary to prepare the application.

Marginal note:Comments by pipeline company

5 If a pipeline company receives a copy of an application for authorization that has been filed with the Regulator, the pipeline company must, within 10 working days after receiving the copy of the application, send to the Regulator its comments on the application.

Obligations Following Request to Locate

Marginal note:Timeline

• 6 (1) Subject to subsection (2), if a pipeline company receives a request to locate its pipes from a person that intends to construct a facility across, on, along or under a pipeline or engage in an activity that would cause a ground disturbance within the prescribed area, the pipeline company must, within three working days after the day on which the request is made, or any longer period agreed to by the pipeline company and that person,

  • (a) inform the person, in writing, of safety practices to be followed while working in the vicinity of its pipes and, in case of a ground disturbance, within the prescribed area;

  • (b) mark the location of its pipes in the vicinity of the proposed facility or the prescribed area at maximum intervals of 10 m along each pipe using markings that are clearly visible and distinct from any other markings that may be in the vicinity of the proposed facility or the prescribed area; and

  • (c) provide information to the person that clearly explains the significance of the markings.

• Marginal note:Markings

  (2) The markings must be consistent with the standards for locating a pipeline that are set out in the pipeline company’s damage prevention program.

Obligations Respecting Certain Locations

Marginal note:Agricultural activity

7 Even if the condition set out in paragraph 13(1)(a) of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations is met, when the operation of vehicles or mobile equipment across a pipeline at specific locations for the purposes of performing an agricultural activity could impair the pipeline’s safety or security, the pipeline company must identify those locations and notify the following persons in writing of those locations:

• (a) landowners of the specific locations in question; and

• (b) persons that are engaged in agricultural activities, rent or lease the land or work as service providers or employees at the specific locations in question.

Inspections

Marginal note:Inspections and field observations

8 The pipeline company must

• (a) carry out any inspections that are necessary to ensure the pipeline’s continued safety and security during an activity that causes a ground disturbance within the prescribed area;

• (b) inspect all exposed pipe prior to any backfilling over a pipe to ensure that no damage to the pipe has occurred; and

• (c) in respect of any inspection carried out under paragraphs (a) and (b), make field observations relating to

  • (i) if a pipe was exposed, the clearance between the pipe and the facility and the condition of the pipe at the time of backfilling over the pipe,

  • (ii) the compliance with the measures set out in the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations,

  • (iii) the method used to engage in the activity that caused a ground disturbance, and

  • (iv) the occurrence of any unusual events that are related to the construction or activity and that may have had an effect on the pipeline’s safety or security.

Marginal note:Deterioration — notify facility owner

• 9 (1) If the pipeline company detects any deterioration of a facility that might adversely affect a pipe, the pipeline company must notify the facility’s owner in writing.

• Marginal note:Deterioration — notify Regulator

  (2) If the pipeline company detects any deterioration of a facility that would so impair the safety or security of the pipe as to warrant removal of the facility, the pipeline company must notify the Regulator in writing.

Suspension

Marginal note:Grounds

• 10 (1) The pipeline company may suspend the consent that it granted to construct a facility or to engage in an activity that causes a ground disturbance within the prescribed area if

  • (a) the person carrying out the construction of a facility does not comply with the technical details and the conditions referred to in paragraph 7(3)(a) of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations or the instructions referred to in paragraph 7(3)(c) of those Regulations;

  • (b) the person engaging in an activity that causes the ground disturbance does not comply with the technical details and the conditions referred to in paragraph 10(3)(a) of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations or the instructions referred to in paragraph 10(3)(d) of those Regulations; or

  • (c) work practices might impair the pipeline’s safety or security.

• Marginal note:Notify Regulator

  (2) If a pipeline company suspends its consent pursuant to subsection (1), it must immediately notify the Regulator in writing of the suspension and give its reasons for the suspension.

Obligation to Report

Marginal note:Report to Regulator

• 11 (1) The pipeline company must immediately report to the Regulator

  • (a) every contravention of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations – Authorizations;

  • (b) all damage to its pipe caused or identified during the construction of a facility across, on, along or under a pipeline, the operation, maintenance or removal of a facility, an activity that caused a ground disturbance within the prescribed area or the operation of vehicles or mobile equipment across the pipeline; and

  • (c) any activity related to the construction of a facility across, on, along or under a pipeline, an activity that caused a ground disturbance within the prescribed area or the operation of vehicles or mobile equipment across a pipeline that the pipeline company considers could impair the safety or security of the pipe.

• Marginal note:Contents of report

  (2) The report must include the following information:

  • (a) details of any contravention or of any damage, including, in the case of damage, the cause and nature of the damage;

  • (b) any concerns that the pipeline company may have regarding the pipeline’s safety or security as a result of the construction of the facility, the activity that caused a ground disturbance or the operation of vehicles or mobile equipment across the pipeline; and

  • (c) any action the pipeline company intends to take or request.