Coquitlam's battle with FortisBC over compensation for the company's planned pipeline upgrades along Como Lake Avenue could continue even after the BC Utilities Commission rules on the matter later this year.
During a council-in-committee meeting this week, city manager Peter Steblin said while he is optimistic BCUC will agree with the municipality's arguments, the city could pursue the issue in the courts.
"We'll read BCUC's decision carefully when it's released," he told The Tri-City News. "If we think the BCUC's decision makes a legal error or doesn't appreciate the project's impact on Coquitlam, for example, those might be the kind of reasons we would consider instigating a court process."
Starting in March, Fortis is planning to upgrade 5.5 km of pipeline underneath Como Lake Avenue as part of a larger 20-km project that began in Vancouver. Construction crews have been making their way through Burnaby along the Lougheed Highway over the last year.
The company has already agreed to give Coquitlam $300,000 in community amenity contributions but that is not enough, according to the city.
Staff have asked Fortis to completely repave Como Lake when it has completed its work and remove the old 20-inch pipe when the new 30-inch pipe is installed, which the company said would cost $77.5 million.
Instead, Fortis intends to fill the old pipe with concrete and leave it in place, which the city said will increase maintenance costs every time utility work needs to be done under the road.
Mayor Richard Stewart told staff during Monday's meeting that once the pipe is filled with concrete, it is no longer a utility. He suggested the city look at charging Fortis rent for storing its old pipe under the road.
"At that point, they are no longer a pipeline," he said.
Steblin concurred, noting that the city's position is that the BCUC should not necessarily be "regulating inactive pipelines," he said Monday.
In a statement to The Tri-City News, FortisBC said it is doing its best to minimize local impacts. The company also stated that it would repair any damage caused during construction "including restoring pavement as has been done in Vancouver and Burnaby for this project."
TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS
Traffic disruptions are expected when FortisBC begins upgrading its gas line along Coquitlam's Como Lake Avenue in March. The utility provider said it intends to have both an eastbound and westbound lane open for the duration of the project, which will be completed by the end of the year.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
@gmckennaTC
