The Pipeline Profiles interactive maps provide publicly accessible information about CER-regulated pipeline systems. These maps provide information about the pipeline systems we regulate and allow the user to zoom in and view nearby communities and other geographic features.
The information displayed on this map is not meant to be comprehensive, and some datasets have been filtered to show only the most relevant information. Please see the Interactive Pipeline Map to see a more comprehensive picture of CER-regulated pipelines.
This information is also not intended for locating pipelines for construction activities or any other soil disturbance in the area around a pipeline. Please check our Damage Prevention Website for information on where to Click Before you Dig.
Terms of Use
The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) provides this information for personal and non-commercial uses. The information contained in this map is based on externally sourced information. The CER makes no representations regarding the accuracy of this information. The CER accepts no responsibility or liability for inaccuracies, errors or omissions in the data and any loss, damage or costs incurred as a result of using or relying on the map data in any way.
The pipeline data contained in this map is subject to licensing terms and may not be reproduced, published, distributed or transferred in whole or in part. The map also contains information license under the Open Government License - Canada.
The Canadian Energy Regulator is bound by the Official Language Act and relevant Treasury Board policies. However, some material on these pages originates from organizations not subject to the Official Languages Act and is made available on this project page in the language in which it was written.
Sources and Description
Sources
The information contained in these maps is obtained from the following sources: Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) (Provincially Regulated Pipelines); CER, from various reports (Western Canada Sedimentary Basin); U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (U.S. Pipelines); Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) (The Community Map of Canada); Geomatics Data Management Inc. (GDM) (CER-regulated pipelines); Government of Canada: Natural Resources Canada, and Surveyor General Branch (Indigenous Lands); Government of Canada: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (Modern and Historic Treaties); North American Cooperation on Energy Information (NACEI) (Refineries).
Description
This map shows the Express pipeline as well as CER-regulated crude oil pipelines, U.S. crude oil pipelines, and provincially regulated crude oil pipelines in Alberta. The Canadian portion of the Express Pipeline extends from Hardisty, Alberta to the Canada-U.S. border near Wild Horse, Alberta.
History
In 1995, Express Pipeline Ltd. applied to the National Energy Board (NEB) for approval of the Express Pipeline Project.
The Express pipeline commenced operations in 1997 at an initial capacity of 172,000 barrels per day.
The capacity was increased to approximately 280,000 barrels per day in 2005 with the construction of three new pump stations along the Canadian portion of the pipeline and two tanks at the Hardisty Terminal [Folder 307074].
The Express pipeline is one of the four major pipelines that transport crude oil from western Canada. The other pipelines are Enbridge Mainline, Trans Mountain, and Keystone.
The Express pipeline (also known as Line 40A) can export 310,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Casper, Wyoming.
The pipeline crosses the Alberta-Montana international boundary near Wild Horse, Alberta.
The Canadian portion of the Express pipeline is approximately 440 km. The U.S. portion is approximately 830 km.
System Description
The Express pipeline transports light, medium, and heavy crude oil from western Canada to refineries in the U.S.
Express delivers into Montana and Wyoming and further connects with pipelines that can transport crude oil to various destinations, including Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Illinois and Oklahoma.
The Express pipeline has associated storage tank terminals located in Hardisty, Alberta, and in Buffalo and Edgar, Montana. The terminals have a total capacity of approximately 3 million barrels.
The storage facilities provide flexibility on shipment timing and product demand.
In May 2015, the NEB approved the construction of an additional storage tank in Hardisty, Alberta. It was placed into service on 1 October 2016 [Folder 2748208].
In Casper, Wyoming, the Express pipeline connects with Enbridge’s Platte Pipeline, which transports crude oil to refineries in the U.S. Midwest. The Platte pipeline terminates in Wood River, Illinois. Collectively, the system is known as the Express-Platte system.
The Platte pipeline transports crude oil from multiple production areas, including: the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (delivered via the Express pipeline interconnection); the Bakken; the Denver-Julesburg Basin; and the Powder River Basin.
Recent Projects
In 2020, the CER approved a project to expand the Express pipeline capacity from approximately 287,000 barrels per day to approximately 310,000 barrels per day. The project involved installing facilities at the Express Hardisty Terminal that inject a drag reducing agent into the pipeline.
We recognize that all lands are the traditional and/or treaty territories of Indigenous Peoples, however, in this data set, only treaty lands are represented due to data availability.
For more information about how the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples in a region are defined, it is best to consult First Nation and Metis governments directly.
The Express Pipeline is one of the four major crude oil export pipelines that transport oil from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin to markets in Canada and the U.S. The other pipelines are the Enbridge Mainline, the Keystone pipeline, and the Trans Mountain pipeline.
The Express Pipeline (also known as Line 40A) transports light, medium, and heavy crude oil from western Canada to refineries in the U.S. Rockies region. Express pipeline delivers into Montana and Wyoming and further connects with pipelines that can transport crude oil to various destinations, including Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Illinois and Oklahoma.
Nomination and verification procedures
Section updated: October 2024
Nomination and verification procedures
Pipeline tariffs specify the procedures by which shippers are to submit nominations for transportation service, including the form and timing of nominations. The tariffs also set out the rights and authorities of pipeline companies to verify nominations. The CER regulates and determines compliance with tariffs for pipelines under its jurisdiction, which include the major export pipelines from western Canada. Pipeline companies and shippers are required to follow the rules and regulations of transportation service as set out in the tariffs.
On the Express Pipeline volumes must be verified by the connecting upstream facility. The majority of throughputs on Express Pipeline flow through the interconnected Platte Pipeline in the United States. Platte allocates its capacity to shippers before Express conducts its own allocation procedures. Pursuant to the delivery verification procedures in the Express Pipeline tariff, the allocations on the Platte Pipeline limit the nominations that are accepted for each shipper on the Express Pipeline.
A toll is the price charged by a pipeline company for transportation and other services. Tolls allow pipeline companies to safely operate and maintain pipelines. Tolls also provide funds for companies to recover capital (the money used to build the pipeline), pay debts, and provide a return to investors. The interactive graph below shows the tolls on the pipeline since 2011.
Tolls on the Express pipeline are market-based and are not calculated on a cost-of-service basis. On the Express pipeline, committed service is offered for both local and cross-border shipments. Committed local tolls vary based on the term (five to nine years or ten or more years) of shippers’ commitments. Committed international joint tolls vary based on the term, type of petroleum, and the open season in which the shipper signed a Transportation Service Agreement.
Uncommitted service is available for local shipments. Uncommitted local tolls vary based on the type of crude petroleum shipped.
Express Pipeline Ltd. is subject to Group 2 financial regulation. Accordingly, the tolls are regulated by the CER on a complaint basis.
Official CER documents related to the traffic, tolls and tariffs for the Express Pipeline are available: Express Pipeline Ltd. regulatory documents [Folder 172404].
The CER requires all pipeline companies to set aside funds to safely cease operation of their pipelines at the end of their useful lives. In 2011, Express Pipeline Ltd. estimated it would cost $44.3 million to do this for the Express Pipeline. In 2018, it updated this estimate to $99.3 million. In 2024, this number was revised to $87 million. These funds are being collected and set aside in a trust. Collection period end date is December 31, 2054.
Table 1: Express Pipeline abandonment trust fund balance
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Trust fund balance ($)
7,300,000
11,000,000
15,300,000
16,500,000
21,000,000
Official CER documents related to abandonment funding can be found here, sorted by year and by company: abandonment funding documents [Folder 3300366].
The Canadian Energy Regulator Act requires oil pipeline companies to set aside funds to pay for the costs of any incident that occurs, such as a spill. See sections 136 to 142 of the Act for more information. Express Pipeline has demonstrated that it has financial resources in excess of $300 million. Official CER documents can be found here: Express Pipeline Ltd. financial resource requirements documents [Folder 2949289].
Pipeline financial information
Section updated: October 2024
Pipeline companies report important financial information to the CER quarterly or annually. A solid financial position enables companies to maintain their pipeline systems, attract capital to build new infrastructure, and meet the market’s evolving needs. The data in this table comes from Express Pipeline Ltd.’s audited financial statements [Folder 365199].
Table 2: Express Pipeline financial data
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Revenue (million $)
92.1
101.9
110
118.6
125.7
124.8
122.7
128.4
140.5
Expenses (million $)
50.7
48
46.3
59.2
58.8
61.8
67.5
52.6
86.8
Net income (million $)
30.1
52.1
61
53
64.3
61.6
56
91.3
56.5
Assets (million $)
149.3
152.3
142
130.9
133.7
144.7
168.1
161.4
158.5
All assets (million $)
204.6
216.8
200.9
217.3
253.1
307.1
410
444.4
490.3
Disclaimer
The financial information presented in Table 2 reflects regulatory information prepared by each CER-regulated pipeline company and filed quarterly or annually with the CER. This information is filed to inform shippers, the CER and other interested parties on pipeline revenues and expenses and is used in monitoring pipeline transportation costs. Methodologies used in the preparation of this financial information may reflect regulatory decisions and guidance and unique negotiated agreements between a pipeline company and its shippers and interested parties. These methodologies, and the resulting financial information presented, may not follow established accounting principles used in other corporate reporting, and may not be comparable between different CER-regulated companies. For more information, please see the regulatory documents in CER’s REGDOCS and any associated notes contained within them.
Corporate financial information
Section updated: October 2024
Express Pipeline Ltd. is a subsidiary of Spectra Energy Partners LP, which is a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge). Enbridge is an energy transportation, distribution, and renewable power generation company. Enbridge assets include crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines, renewable power generation, as well as natural gas distribution utilities in British Columbia, Ontario, and New Brunswick. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. In February 2017, Enbridge acquired Spectra Energy Corp. Prior to February 2017, Express Pipeline Ltd. was a subsidiary of Spectra Energy Partners, LP.
Credit ratings provide an idea of the financial strength of a company, including its ability to attract capital to build new infrastructure and meet financial obligations. The credit ratings below are expert opinions of how likely the debt issuer is to live up to its obligations.
Table 3: Enbridge Inc. credit ratings
Rating Agency
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
DBRS credit rating
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
BBB (high)
-
Moody's credit rating
Baa2
Baa2
Baa3
Baa3
Baa2
Baa2
Baa1
Baa1
Baa1
S&P credit rating
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
BBB+
-
Financial regulatory audits
Section updated: March 2025
The CER audits pipeline companies to confirm compliance with the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, regulations, CER orders, and CER decisions. Financial regulatory audits focus on toll and tariff matters such as detecting cross-subsidies. Express Pipeline Ltd.’s last audit was completed on 27 March 2009.
Official CER documents related to Express Pipeline Ltd.’s financial regulatory audits can be found here:[Folder 552063].
Every pipeline company in Canada must meet federal, provincial or territorial, and local requirements. This includes Acts, Regulations, rules, bylaws, and zoning restrictions. Pipelines are also bound by technical, safety, and environmental standards along with company rules, protocols and management systems. In addition to these requirements, the Commission may add conditions to regulatory instruments that each company must meet. Conditions are project-specific and are designed to protect public and the environment by reducing possible risks identified during the application process.
Condition compliance is part of the CER's oversight and enforcement action is taken when required.
Conditions can be related to a specific region, or apply to the pipeline project as a whole. The map below displays the number of in progress and closed conditions mapped to economic regions as defined by Statistics Canada.
Conditions can typically be either in-progress or closed. The CER follows up on in-progress conditions.
In-Progress
This status refers to conditions that continue to be monitored by the CER. This happens when:
condition filings have not yet been received by the CER; or,
filings have been received but are under review or do not yet meet requirements; or,
a project is not completed and it has conditions, which have not been met; or,
a project has a post-construction condition, but a requirement has not yet been completed; or,
some conditions may be active indefinitely or refer to the continued operation of a pipeline.
Closed
This status refers to:
condition requirements that have been satisfied, and no further submissions from the company are required; or
conditions whose filings or actions apply to a specific phase that have been fulfilled as the phase is completed (i.e. a specific filing during construction phase). Note: comments on the required actions can still be received.
Dashboard: Express Pipeline - Closed Conditions by Region
Some conditions are not tied to a geographic location.
No geographic location summary for Express Pipeline:
In Progress conditions: 15
Dashboard instructions
Click on a region to view conditions info
Click map area outside of regions to hide info
Note: Some conditions apply to multiple regions. Conditions may be double counted across regions, resulting in a higher number of conditions than the totals seen in the buttons above.
Description: The above map displays the number of CER conditions associated with projects approved by the Commission. The map is split into two tabs which show in-progress and closed conditions separately, mapped to an economic region. If a company has no in-progress conditions specific to an economic region, the dashboard will default to show the closed conditions by region. An additional view is available which contains the number of in-progress and closed conditions that don't have a corresponding economic region in the dataset. The map regions are shaded based on the number of conditions, with lighter coloured regions containing fewer conditions compared to darker colors. Conditions that apply to more than one region are double counted in the map, and these conditions will appear in the map region total and map region breakdown for each applicable region. The condition counts contained in the map navigation buttons represent total conditions without region double counting.
Have you checked out the CER's interactive conditions data visualization? This tool offers a deep dive into the CER's conditions compliance data and process, exploring conditions across all CER regulated companies by keyword, project, and location.
Reported incidents
Section updated: November 2024
Reported Incidents
The information presented here is based on CER data (2008 to current) for incidents reported under the Onshore Pipeline Regulations and the Processing Plant Regulations. New data is added quarterly. Learn more on how incident data collection has evolved since the NEB (now the CER) was established in 1959.
Companies must report events, such as incidents, to the CER in accordance with the CER Event Reporting Guidelines. Knowing what happened, and why, helps us find ways to prevent them from happening again.
What is an incident? (Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR))
As defined in the OPR, “incident” means an occurrence that results in:
the death or serious injury to a person;
a significant adverse effect on the environment;
an unintended fire or explosion;
an unintended or uncontained release of low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³
an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas or high vapour pressure (HVP) hydrocarbons;
the operation of a pipeline beyond its design limits as determined under CSA Z662 or CSA Z276 or any operating limits imposed by the CER.
What is an incident? (Processing Plant Regulations (PPR))
As defined in the PPR, “incident” is defined as an occurrence that results or could result in a significant adverse effect on property, the environment, or the safety of persons. For the purposes of incident reporting in the PPR, events that fall under this definition include, but are not limited to:
the death or serious injury to a person;
a significant adverse effect on the environment;
an unintended fire or explosion that results in or has the potential to result in damage to company, public/crown or personal property;
an unintended or uncontained release of low vapour pressure (LVP) hydrocarbons in excess of 1.5 m³
an unintended or uncontrolled release of gas, HVP hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide or other poisonous gas; or
the operation of a plant beyond its design limits or any limits imposed by the CER.
Incidents and the CER
Companies self-report incidents and are expected to take a precautionary approach in doing so. This means that even when there is doubt as to whether an incident should be reported, the company must report it. The approach is, “When in doubt, report.” This is consistent with CER-regulated companies’ responsibility for anticipating, preventing, mitigating and managing incidents of any size or duration.
The CER reviews all reported incidents to assess whether companies have taken the appropriate corrective actions and to identify potential trends in incidents. Each incident is given a status indicating the current stage of the CER's incident review.
CER Status
Initially Submitted: The company has notified the CER that an incident has occurred and provided preliminary information. A review has been initiated.
Submitted: The company has submitted all of the required information and the CER is reviewing the incident.
Closed: The CER’s incident review has been completed and the file is closed.
The Express Pipeline has reported a total of 4 incidents since 2008. Of those incidents, 3 have resulted in some volume of product being released, with crude oil - sweet being the most commonly released substance. The dashboard below provides some more information about these product release incidents.
Part of the CER's incident review classifies incidents based on the
circumstances that directly led to the incident (what happened), and the underlying reasons for the incident (why it happened).
On this pipeline system, the most common what happened is external interference and the most common why it happened is engineering and planning & maintenance . Take a look at the incident trends section of the dashboard below for definitions and a breakdown of what and why.
The dashboard below displays only the incidents that resulted in a release of product from the pipeline, however there are other important incident types that may not appear on the dashboard. Of Express Pipeline's reported incidents, 0 have resulted in adverse environmental effects. There have been 0 serious injuries, and 0 fatalities related to incident events. Open the dropdown below to view the definitions of these incident types.
Incident type definitions: one incident can have multiple types
Release of Substance (featured in the dashboard) - Any time a product is unintentionally released. (Releases of non-gas low pressure products in volumes of less than 1.5 m³ are exempt from reporting.)
Adverse Environmental Effects - When any chemical substance is released at a concentration or volume that has the potential to change the ambient environment in a manner that would cause harm to human life, wildlife or vegetation (e.g., glycol, potassium carbonate, methanol, methanol mix from hydrostatic testing, etc.).
Explosion - An unintended explosion
Fatality - Any death involving employees, contractors or members of the public related to the construction, operation, maintenance or abandonment of pipelines
Fire - An unintended fire
Operation Beyond Design Limits Includes situations, such as:
over-pressures - i.e., pressures that are higher than the maximum the equipment was designed to safely handle;
vibration beyond design limits;
slope movements causing movement in the pipeline beyond design limits;
pipe exposures in rivers or streams; and
introduction of an inappropriate product (e.g., sour gas in excess of CSA limits)
Operation beyond design limit is typically linked to an over-pressure of the product in the pipe; however, if a pipe was exposed to excessive vibration and was not designed for this, this could be considered operation beyond design limits. Operation beyond design limits does not include equipment contacting the pipe, or corrosion pits, etc.
Serious Injury (CER or Transportation Safety Board) - Any serious injury involving employees, contractors or members of the public related to the construction, operation or maintenance of pipelines.
Dashboard: Express Pipeline - Incidents with a product release
Description: The above map displays the location of product release incidents that have occurred on the pipeline system since 2008. The map defaults to show incidents as bubbles which are coloured based on the substance released. Incidents on the map can be re-categorized based on the most recently available status of the CER's incident review, the year in which the incident was reported, and the province/territory where the incident occurred. The incident map bubble can be switched to show the estimated volume of product released, with larger map bubbles showing larger release volumes relative to other product releases on the system. The incident data can also be toggled to display a stacked bar chart of incidents over time by clicking on the incident trends button above the map. The stacked bars display the number of product release incidents by year, with bar colour segments corresponding to the various products released. Similar to the map, incidents can be re-categorized by clicking on the side buttons to view a breakdown of incidents by status, what happened, why it happened, and province/territory.
Have you checked out the CER's interactive incident data visualization? This tool offers a deep dive into the CER's incident data trends, exploring incidents across all CER regulated companies.
Operations and maintenance activities
Section updated: November 2024
Operations and Maintenance Activities
Oil and gas pipeline companies regularly conduct routine operations and maintenance (O&M) activities on CER regulated pipelines. These activities include things such as pipeline repairs, investigative and integrity digs, and many other activities while promoting safety, security, environmental protection, economic efficiency, and respect for the rights of those that may be affected.
Companies are required to adhere to Canadian Energy Regulator Act’s Onshore Pipeline Regulations and operate their facilities in a manner that is safe and protects the environment. Authorizations for pipelines typically allow companies to construct and operate a facility, and companies are not required to apply for additional approval to undertake most O&M activities. In certain circumstances, companies are required to notify the CER in advance with sufficient information to make a determination as to whether to inspect O&M activities that could result in safety consequences to landowners or the public, environmental consequences, or a negative impact on normal third-party use of the right-of-way (ROW) or adjacent property.
What activities are O&M activities (eligible activities)?
Operations and maintenance activities include:
All activities necessary to safely operate an existing pipeline;
Maintenance activities, upgrades or repairs to an existing pipeline or part of a pipeline that do not increase the approved maximum operating pressure (MOP), the stress level or diameter of the pipeline; or
Physically removing an existing section of pipe up to 5 km in length, and putting a new section of pipe in its place, as long as this replacement does not increase the approved MOP, stress level or diameter of the pipeline.
What O&M Activities require CER approval (restrictions on eligible activities)?
Where any of the following restrictions exist, the company must apply to the Commission in accordance with the CER Act and the related regulations and may not carry out the proposed activity until approval from the Commission has been obtained. The restrictions apply where:
The work includes welding on an in-service pipeline by a pipeline company that has not previously performed in-service welding in accordance with the requirements of CSA Z662-15, Clause 7.17, ‘Welding on In-Service Piping’, or the equivalent clause in the most recent edition of CSA Z662; or
The work involves the construction of an aerial crossing, excluding work on company owned or leased land relating to facilities (e.g., terminal stations, processing plants, compressor/pump stations).
What kinds of activities are not O&M activities (ineligible activities)?
O&M activities do not include:
Upgrades that result in increases above previously approved and specified levels to:
the MOP,
stress levels,
the diameter of the pipeline, and/or
airborne emissions or noise levels.
"Looping" (i.e., adding pipe parallel or adjacent to, and interconnected with, an existing pipeline for the general purpose of increasing capacity);
Construction of a new pipeline; or
Deactivation (for longer than 12 months), reactivation (where a pipeline has been deactivated for more than 12 months), decommissioning, or abandonment.
The dashboard and figures presented below only include O&M activities from 2015 onwards that require notification to the CER. Consult the O&M Requirements and Guidance Notes for a list of O&M event activities that call for notification to be filed with the CER.
Since 2015, there have been a total of 17 O&M activities reported by the Express Pipeline. When the activity involves an integrity dig, the activity may entail exposing an area of the pipeline by performing one or more integrity assessments. There have been 9 individual integrity digs as part of the reported O&M activities.
There have been 0 O&M activities for which new temporary or permanent land is required and is located within critical habitat for any Endangered or Threatened species listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act. When this happens, the company may be required to meet additional regulatory obligations outside of the CER Act, such as the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Species at Risk Act.
Dashboard: Express Pipeline - O&M Activites by Year
Description: The above bar chart displays the number of O&M activities from 2015 to current, arranged based on the starting year of the activity. Each bar is stacked based on several parameters, with the default view showing the province/territory where the O&M activity occurred. Navigation buttons to the right of the bar chart provide the option to view the number of O&M activities by province/territory, if the activity includes an integrity dig, if in-stream work is required, if there are fish present, and if there are species at risk present.
View the requirements and guidance notes (O&M Guidelines) for more information on how these events are regulated while promoting safety, security, environmental protection, economic efficiency, and respect for the rights of those that may be affected.
Contaminated sites and remediation
Section updated: November 2024
Contaminated Sites and Remediation
As part of the CER’s environmental protection activities, we require companies to manage and remediate contamination throughout the lifecycle of the facilities. As a first step, regulated companies are required to report contamination to the CER through the online submission of the Notification of Contamination (NOC).
After the NOC is submitted, companies must demonstrate they are actively managing the contamination according to the Remediation Process Guide. The progress and current status of remediation at the contaminated site are captured in the annual update submitted by a company each year for a contaminated site.
Third party contamination is on-site contamination that is shown to not be emanating or migrating from the company’s facilities or company-owned or leased lands or Right-of-Way. While third-party contamination is not the result of company activities, the CER still requires that this contamination is reported to the CER through the submission of the NOC.
The dashboard below contains information that is contained in the NOC's and annual updates found in REGDOCS. The CER publishes NOCs that have been submitted to the CER since August 2018, when the CER started collecting this information electronically and annual updates that have been submitted since 2021. For information on contaminated sites for which NOCs were submitted prior to August 2018, email remediation@cer-rec.gc.ca.
There are many different methods and approaches to remediate contamination. Thus, when a company submits a plan for remediation (i.e., remedial action plan) for CER review, they are required to include an options analysis to support the remedial method chosen, select appropriate remediation criteria and demonstrate engagement with potentially affected persons, among other requirements. CER analysts also review closure reports submitted by the company once the remediation is completed to ensure remediation has been completed appropriately.
The Express Pipeline has reported a total of 5 contaminated sites since 2011 when the first Remediation Process Guide was first published. There have been 2 contaminated sites reported since August 2018, and information about these contaminated sites is featured in the dashboard below.
Dashboard: Express Pipeline - Contaminated Sites (post Aug 15, 2018)
Description: The above map displays the approximate location of contaminated sites that have been reported since August 2018. The map defaults to show contaminated sites as bubbles which are coloured based on the year the Notice of Contamination was submitted. Contaminated sites on the map can be re-categorized based on the province/territory, if the site is within 30 metres of a water body, and the applicable land use at the site. The contaminated sites can also be toggled to display a stacked bar chart of events over time by clicking on the contaminated sites trends button above the map. The stacked bars display the number of contaminated sites reported by year. Like the map, contaminated sites can be re-categorized by clicking on the side buttons to view a breakdown of contaminated sites by site status, activity at time of discovery, pipeline or facility, and contaminant type.
Damage prevention is where people and pipelines meet; it is the proactive process that keeps people, the environment, and pipelines safe.
The CER takes action to protect Canadians and the environment. Some of these actions include having safety requirements for activities near the pipelines that we regulate. Unauthorized activities on or around pipelines are unsafe and illegal. If pipelines are contacted or damaged, the result could be very serious.
The CER Damage Prevention Regulations (DPRs) outline the obligations of the pipeline companies to have robust damage prevention and public awareness programs that provide people living and working near pipelines the information to ensure those activities near their pipelines are done safely with respect to the pipeline. The DPRs also outline the requirements for people living and working near pipelines to communicate with pipeline companies when they are planning any construction activity (digging, building, driving on the right-of-way) and to follow the instructions that the pipeline company gives them.
Damage prevention is a shared responsibility, and we all play a part in making sure that everyone stays safe when working near a pipeline.
Pipeline companies must immediately report to the CER any activity near their pipelines that does not follow the rules and specifications set out in the DPRs. These violations are called contravention reports. The CER provides an Open Government dataset containing information on each reported contravention. Some summary statistics and a dashboard displaying this data is available below.
No DPR Contravention Reports data
There are no reported DPR Contravention Reports for Express Pipeline. If new DPR Contravention Reports are reported to the CER for this pipeline, they will appear here following the quarterly data update.
The CER checks to make sure companies are keeping pipelines safe by doinginspections, in-depth safetyaudits, and other activities. Yet, even with these precautions, an emergency could still happen. Sound emergency management practices improve public safety and environmental protection outcomes, and provide for more effective emergency response.
The CER holds its regulated companies responsible for anticipating, preventing, mitigating, and managing emergencies of any size or duration. Each company must have an emergency management program that includes detailed emergency procedures manuals to guide its response in an emergency. We oversee the emergency management program of a regulated company’s project for its entire operation.
The CER requires companies to publish information on their emergency management program and their emergency procedures manuals on their websites so Canadians can access them.
