What Enbridge calls the "CAEPLA Commitment" is really a commitment to you, the pipeline landowner.

It is also a commitment to your neighbours, fellow energy corridor residents, and all Canadians. It is a commitment CAEPLA was privileged to help bring about.

By Alan Sawatzky

There was a CAEPLA landowner agreement in place on the Alberta Clipper pipeline ten years ago. We have built off that initial agreement and improvements have been made.

From that early relationship with CAEPLA, and the good history we have from those days with “leaving the right-of-way (RoW) as good as or better than when we came,” a positive relationship continues to this day.

We have one CAEPLA monitor on each of the nine spreads. The monitor is a mechanism for individual landowners to communicate their questions and concerns directly to the monitor who in turn communicates directly to spread CM or ACM. From this we can respond and answer in real time and resolve or answer their inquiries and questions. That is a direct line of reporting. No lag time.

The Role of CAEPLA Monitors

A CAEPLA monitors will attend all inspector and construction meetings onsite.

B CAEPLA monitors ensure any issues or concerns raised find quick resolution. Enbridge management ensures actions are taken to rectify where required.

C We meet quarterly with CAEPLA directors to provide project updates; discuss questions or concerns; improvements required; what is working well.

Issues discussed at a CAEPLA Directors quarterly meeting in 2009:

Many of these issues are still prevalent today.

1 Weeds.

2 Erosion on subsoil and topsoil. Wind and water.

3 Compacted soil.

4 Dust control.

5 Follow the biosecurity protocols and requirements listed in the EPP and Environmental alignment sheets. EPP is very clear on cleaning requirements and locations.

6 Parking pickups on the road at road crossings.

7 Geotextile left behind in topsoil.

8 Landowner approved water pump off locations. The days of throwing blue hose over topsoil piles and pumping away are over.

9 Respect landowners. along the RoW.

Enbridge's Core Values

Culture: What we accept, and don’t accept goes beyond our safety culture.

Quality Culture: We expect a high-quality installed product.

Environmental Culture: We expect environmental quality adherence to Enbridge and regulatory commitments and requirements.

Inspection Culture: We expect our inspection companies to ensure a quality pipe install well documented through their daily reporting, and easily evidenced when required.

Core Values in Practice

➥ Values of Safety, Respect, Integrity: Carry these values with you through the project and beyond.

➥ Respect for fellow workers, locals along the line, landowners, motel managers, waitresses and bartenders, respect and integrity through all stages of construction, on and off the RoW.

➥ Treat landowners, co-workers and the communities we will call home for the duration of the project with respect.

➥ Drive courteously, especially on rural farm roads with large equipment and narrow surfaces.

➥ Be patient.

➥ Don’t dust out landowners.

Contractor Required Mitigation Signage

➥ Patience and courtesy while driving to and from work.

➥ Rural narrow road driving skills required.

➥ Many hazards on our drives. 

Published in PIPELINE OBSERVER Fall 2018