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Home > Safety > Reference Material > Living and Working Near Pipelines - Landowner Guide - 2010Living and Working Near Pipelines - Landowner Guide - 2010
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Living and Working Near Pipelines - Landowner Guide (Pamphlet) - 2010 [PDF 324 KB]
Pipelines are the safest method to transport products, such as natural gas, oil or other commodities, across the country. If these pipelines are damaged the results could be very serious. You have an important role to play to ensure safety. Please, call before you dig.
Call Before You Dig
You must call and obtain written approval from the pipeline company before mechanically excavating and constructing within the right of way or mechanically excavating within 30 metres (100 feet) of the right of way. If you are unable to reach an agreement with the pipeline company, contact the National Energy Board at 1-800-899-1265.
Did you know?
- Unauthorized construction, installation of a facility or excavation over or near a pipeline is illegal.
- The pipeline company must inform you within 10-business days whether permission for your project has been granted or refused. If permission has been refused, the pipeline company must inform you of the reasons.
- The pipeline company has three business days to respond to a request to locate its pipeline.
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Pipeline signs and marker posts do not indicate the exact location of a pipeline or right of way. ALWAYS call before you dig. |
The Pipeline Right of Way
A pipeline is installed within a strip of land referred to as a right of way. The pipeline company has acquired rights to use this land for the construction, operation and maintenance of its pipelines, however, ownership of the land remains with the landowner.
All activities within the right of way are governed by the NEB Act, the NEB Pipeline Crossing Regulations, Parts I and II, and easement agreements negotiated between the landowner and the pipeline company.
To ensure safety, you will need to contact the company to get written approval for a number of different activities on the right of way. These activities include, but are not limited to.
- operating vehicles or mobile equipment over the right of way where a roadway does not exist
- Reducing the depth of soil covering the pipeline
- Ploughing below 30 cm (1 foot)
- Ground levelling
- Installing drainage systems
- Augering
- Fencing
The Safety Zone
The Safety Zone extends 30 metres (100 feet) on either side of the right of way. To ensure safety, excavation using mechanical equipment or explosives within this zone requires approval from the pipeline company. However, the existence of the safety zone does not preclude development of the land.
Prohibited area
When a pipeline company receives a request to locate its pipes, the company may designate a restricted area. The restricted area is situated in the vicinity of the proposed project and may extend beyond the 30 metre safety zone. No excavation may be performed in this area until the pipes are located and marked by the pipeline company or, until the expiry of three working days after the date of the request, whichever occurs first. This period of time may be extended if both you and the pipeline company agree.
Safety Checklist
- Plan your activity - Identify the precise location of your work; check records for evidence of pipeline easements or other buried facilities.
- Visit the site and look for pipeline warning signs or pipeline marker posts.
- Contact the pipeline company and obtain a copy of the pipeline company's guidelines for ground disturbances.
- Obtain the pipeline company's written approval for the crossing.
- Make a locate request (by calling the one-call centre where a one-call centre exists or by calling the pipeline company where there is no one-call centre) to have the pipeline located.
- Be on site when the pipe is located and know the meaning of the pipeline markers.
- Give 3 working days notice to the pipeline company prior to the commencement of the approved activity unless otherwise agreed on by the pipeline company and the applicant.
- Hand expose the pipe prior to any ground disturbance within 3 metres of the pipe.
- Notify the pipeline company one working day before backfilling over the pipe.
- IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE PIPELINE COMPANY IF YOU COME IN TO CONTACT WITH THE PIPE.
- ALWAYS follow the instructions of a pipeline company representative.
NEB Regulated Pipelines
The main pipelines regulated by the NEB are operated by:
Alliance Pipeline Ltd.
Enbridge Pipelines Inc.
Enbridge Pipelines (NW) Inc.
Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd.
Gazoduc Trans Québec & Maritimes Inc.
Kinder Morgan Cochin ULC
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Management Ltd.
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.
Trans Mountain Pipeline Inc.
Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc.
TransCanada PipeLines Limited
Westcoast Energy Inc., carrying on business as Spectra Energy Transmission
Many smaller pipelines are also regulated by the NEB. If you have a question about the NEB's jurisdiction over a particular pipeline, please call us at 1-800-899-1265 or visit our Web site at www.neb-one.gc.ca.
Working together for pipeline safety.
Provincial One-Call Centres:
| Québec | Info-Excavation: 1-800-663-9228 www.info-ex.com |
| Ontario | Ontario One Call: 1-800-400-2255 www.on1call.com |
| Saskatchewan | Sask First Call: 1-866-828-4888 www.sask1stcall.com |
| Alberta | Alberta One Call Corporation: 1-800-242-3447 www.alberta1call.com |
| British Columbia | BC One Call: 1-800-474-6886 www.bconecall.bc.ca |
About the National Energy Board
The National Energy Board regulates pipelines, energy development and trade in the Canadian public interest.
The NEB regulates activities on or adjacent to rights of way under Board jurisdiction in the interests of the protection of property, the environment, and the safety of the public and of the pipeline company's employees. NEB staff regularly perform audits and inspections of pipeline companies to ensure their compliance.
Contact the NEB
Each excavation or construction activity is unique, and this guide cannot deal with all cases. If you need further assistance with any excavation or construction activity near a federally regulated pipeline, please call us at 1-800-899-1265 and ask for the Operations Inspector responsible for pipeline crossings or email info@neb-one.gc.ca.
The National Energy Board Act; the National Energy Board Pipeline Crossing Regulations, Parts I and II; Excavation and Construction Near Pipelines and other NEB publications are available from:
The Publications Office
National Energy Board
444 Seventh Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 0X8
E-mail: publications@neb-one.gc.ca
Telephone: 403-299-3562
Telephone (toll free): 1-800-899-1265
Telecopier: 403-292-5576
Telecopier (toll free): 1-877-288-8803
TTY (teletype): 1-800-632-1663
Our publications are also available on our Website: www.neb-one.gc.ca.
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