2021–22 Annual Report of the Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator – Appendix E: Commission Orders and Directions 2021–22
The following table summarizes Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (the Commission) Orders (sometimes referred to as Safety Orders) and Directions that were active in 2021–22. The Commission can issue these Orders pursuant to section 95 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to ensure the safety and security of persons and facilities and/or for the protection of property or the environment. Previously, the National Energy Board issued these Orders pursuant to section 48 of the National Energy Board Act.
Many Orders will remain in effect for several years, in which case CER staff will continue to monitor compliance with the Order. The existence of a Safety Order in many cases establishes/imposes safe thresholds for continued operation (e.g., pressure restrictions). It is necessary to keep these restrictions in place until such time as the Commission is of the opinion that the company has sufficiently addressed underlying issues.
Commission Orders and Directions active in 2021–22
Order Number |
Date Issued |
Company |
Region |
Description/ reason for Order/Direction |
Resulting Action/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-09-18 |
Centra Transmission Holdings Inc |
Sections through Ontario, Fort Francis |
Non-compliances resulting from compliance verification activity. |
Pressure restriction of 80% of the Maximum Operating Pressure (MOP) Status 31 March 2022: Order is still open and Conditions 3 and 4 are still active. |
|
2013-12-20 |
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd |
Ukalta Lateral |
Issued due to Incident # 2013-141, leak on Ukalta Lateral line. |
Pressure restriction not exceeding 6,570 kPa, must perform weekly above ground leak detection surveys, inline inspection validation Status 31 March 2022: The Safety Order is still in effect. |
|
2020-07-17 |
Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc. |
Ontario and Quebec |
Amending Order issued as a result of several overpressure incidents from 2010–2016. Replaced three existing Safety Orders from 2009-10 including a system wide Safety Order. Imposed 10% pressure restriction in addition to the 20% pressure restriction from the system wide safety order. Further amended by Order AO-002-SO-T217-003-2010 on 24 October 2016 to reflect revised authorized and related reduced operating pressures previously imposed. Further amended by Order AO-003-SO-T217-003-2010 on 12 April 2017 to vary conditions 4 and 7 and add condition 8, as well as a new Schedule D for two pipelines. Further amended by Order AO-004-SO-T217-003-2010 on 17 July 2020 to vary reporting timelines for conditions 2.c, 3.c, 7.d and 8.e |
Operate the pipeline sections at reduced pressures-10% as per Schedule A and 30% MOP as per Schedules B and C. Multiple other conditions including requirement for hydraulic analysis, Bronte Creek release remediation, providing annual engineering assessments and watercourse crossing management program. Status 31 March 2022: Two conditions remain for approval. |
|
2021-02-01 |
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) |
NGTL System |
Leaks and ruptures have occurred on NGTL pipelines that are not able to be internally inspected using automated tools. |
Pressure restriction on twenty-five unpiggable NGTL pipelines that TransCanada has calculated to have the highest societal risk Status 31 March 2022: Two pipelines remain on the Order. One was decommissioned under CER MO-020-2019. |
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