Regulators must possess early risk-assessment understanding

• Published in: The Oil & gas journal Vol. 105; no. 9; p. 64
• Main Author: ROBLIN, Katherine E
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tulsa, OK Pennwell 05.03.2007; Endeavor Business Media
• Subjects: Abandonments; Airports; Applied sciences; Boreholes; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Environmental cleanup; Environmental perception; Environmental regulations; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Groundwater; Groundwater data; Hydrocarbons; Hydrologic data; Jurisdiction; Land use; Pipelines; Remediation; Risk assessment; Canada; Risk
• ISSN: 0030-1388; 1944-9151

The last part of a series on pipeline abandonment is presented. After identifying 11 areas of potential environmental concern at the upper tank farm (UTF), Yukon Pipeline Ltd drilled five boreholes to obtain preliminary soil and groundwater data. The National Energy Board approved YPL's request to amend its remediation plan but directed YPL to submit its formal Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment and amended remediation plan for approval before implementing any changes. The submitted risk assessment is a topic of ongoing technical debate between YPL and other interested parties and has not been approved to date. YPL's UTF abandonment presents many technical logistical, and regulatory challenges. Regulatory issues include the question of how to conclude a remediation plan approved under and regulated by a pipeline regulator, where the original contemplation of risk-based approaches and site-specific numerical standards has developed into risk-management specifications for future residential development.