The response was unacceptable.
That’s how Mayor George Harvie is describing the situation concerning FortisBC on Tuesday following reports of a gas odour that permeated throughout Delta, into Richmond and even into parts of Vancouver.
“It is unacceptable that Delta residents and businesses were left in the dark about a very serious gas odour that spread throughout Delta. It took FortisBC over four hours after initial reports before they made a public statement,” said Harvie. “Delta Police and Delta Fire were bombarded with calls about the odour and Delta Fire crews attended to each of these calls to ensure there was no on-site gas leak. The failure of Fortis BC to communicate this gas odour leak had a serious impact on our emergency services whose resources should be dedicated to real emergencies.”
FortisBC says their crews responded to reports of gas odour at the FortisBC Interconnect Station in Ladner and were on site at approximately 12:30 p.m. (Jan. 16) to investigate.
“During a controlled release of gas at the FortisBC Interconnect Station in Ladner, we identified a minor leak, which was brought under control by 2 p.m. the same day and repairs started,” said Gary Toft Senior Advisor, Corporate Communications. “The leak contained a high concentration of odorant (mercaptan) which is added to gas so that in the unlikely event of a leak it can be detected. Mercaptan is derived from naturally occurring compounds like hydrogen sulphide, which has a strong smell even in very low concentrations. It is not hazardous to inhale with the quantity released in the atmosphere.
“The release of gas with a high concentration of mercaptan was not anticipated and, due to the strong smell, it has been detected by residents in several communities, including Ladner, Delta, Richmond, and Vancouver.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause residents and commuters in the area.”
Harvie called the delayed notification to residents – more than four hours – an “egregious oversight by FortisBC.”
“The stress and panic that this incident caused to both the public and our first responders was completely unnecessary,” said Harvie. “That is why I have asked our city manager to conduct a full review into what caused the gas odour leak and why it took over four hours for FortisBC to inform anyone about it. FortisBC must be accountable for their delay in response causing confusion and alarm in our community.”
In a further response to more inquires from the Optimist, Fortis said on Wednesday afternoon that the company has been in contact with local First Nations, municipal and emergency officials to provide information on their response.
“Public and employee safety is our top priority. We apologize for the disruption and concern that this may cause residents and commuters in the area. We realize the residual odor is very strong in some areas, but it is expected to dissipate.”
