Enbridge plans to remove 0.6% of its pipelines on abandonment

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. plans to remove only 0.6% of its nearly 8,000 km of pipelines in Canada at the time of abandonment.  For agricultural land, only lands with "prospective future development" would have pipelines removed.  Pipelines would be abandoned in place in all other agricultural land with no "special treatment" for the pipelines.  This would include pipelines with a diameter of up to 48 inches.  More than 5,000 km of Enbridge pipelines run through cultivated land.   The 0.6% figure contrasts sharply with the 20% number identified by the National Energy Board (NEB) in its abandonment funding documentation.

Enbridge has applied to the NEB for approval of its plan for abandonment funding purposes.  The documents comprising Enbridge's application can be found at: Physical Plans for Abandonment and Preliminary Cost Estimates. 

Enbridge's application includes excerpts from a Praxis Research study conducted for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA).  The study consisted of a landowner survey, and Enbridge says that its abandonment plans took the results of the survey into consideration.  However, more than 50% of respondents with Enbridge pipelines expressed concern about Enbridge pipelines being left in the ground.  Read the study excerpt at: CEPA Landowner Survey.