Compliance Verification Activity Report: CV2223-017 - Emera Brunswick Pipeline Company Ltd.

Overview

Compliance verification activity type: Emergency Response Exercise

Activity #: CV2223-017
Start date: 2022-09-14
End date: 2022-09-16

Team:

Regulated company: Emera Brunswick Pipeline Company Ltd.

Operating company: Emera New Brunswick

Province(s) / Territory(s):

Discipline(s):

Rationale and scope:

Assess Emera's preparedness to response to an emergency: verify that response actions are based on the EPM and company procedures (is the company doing what it said it would do); assess whether the EPM and procedures protect the health and safety of the public and responders, property and the environment; determine whether exercise objectives were met; and ensure that no effects or potential effects result from participants’ actions or lack of actions. Last exercise evaluated was 5 yrs ago. This will be a multi agency event.

Compliance tool(s) used:

Facility details

Facilities:

Regulatory requirements

Regulatory requirements that apply to this activity:

Observations (no outstanding follow-up required)

Observation 1 - Emera Brunswick Pipeline Ltd. Exercise Evaluation Report

Date & time of visit: 2022-09-15 16:00

Discipline: Emergency Management

Categories:

Facility:

Observations:

On 15 September 2022, a Canada Energy Regulator (CER) Emergency Response Exercise Evaluation Team (evaluation team) attended the Emera Brunswick Pipeline Company (EBPC) full-scale exercise in Saint John, NB. The evaluation team included three CER Inspection Officers. CER staff were present in an evaluation capacity only.

The purpose of the exercise was to test the EBPC staff implementation and effectiveness of the EBPC Emergency Response Plan in a facilitated analysis of a hypothetical emergency scenario.  Objectives included:


The exercise initiating event was a pipeline rupture caused by unauthorized blasting. The blasting also caused an NB Power transmission tower to collapse near the pipeline failure.

CER staff evaluated the following elements:  
Although a safety briefing for participants was provided at the exercise kick-off meeting, CER Staff observed that exercise safety could be further enhanced through a site-specific safety briefing at the actual field site.

During the exercise debrief, CER staff discussed the value of having additional exercise administration and control to simulate external factors which can help offset exercise artificialities.  For example, the fire department noted that there was lack of simulated sensory cues at the field site which first responders use to assess hazards and determine plan of action. These sensory cues could be visual or auditory such as a simulated downed transmission tower, the sound of gas escaping from a ruptured pipeline or just verbal prompts from an exercise controller indicating these situations.  This approach would facilitate a more realistic response to the incident.

Through an evaluation of the elements listed above and a review of the documentation provided, CER staff noted that the company response actions were executed according to the EBPC Emergency Response Plan. These plans/procedures were appropriate to protect people, the environment and property, and impacts to receptors were minimized. No non-compliances were identified during this exercise.

Compliance tool used: No compliance tool used

Observations (company follow-up required)

Identified non-compliances to company plans or procedures are non-compliances either to:

- the condition of an authorization document that requires the implementation of that plan or procedure; or

- the relevant section of the regulations that requires implementation of that plan or procedure including those sections that require implementation of plans or procedures as a part of a Program