FortisBC apologizes for strong odour in Delta

DELTA — FortisBC is apologizing after a controlled release of gas Tuesday (Jan. 16) resulted in a strong odour that led to a flood of calls to Delta police and fire personnel and seriously hampered Delta’s emergency response services.

According to a report from The Canadian Press, George Harvie, the mayor of Delta, called a lack of communication from FortisBC “an egregious oversight” after the utility didn’t notify the public for more than four hours about what the public thought was a leak at a renewable gas plant. As work was being performed on new equipment at the FortisBC Interconnect Station in Ladner, there was a controlled release of gas, not a leak as initially believed

FortisBC says that on Tuesday, January 16, the utility received reports of a strong gas odour that affectedthe communities of Ladner, Delta, Richmond and Vancouver. FortisBC says that it takes all reports of gas odour very seriously.

“As work was being performed on new equipment at the FortisBC Interconnect Station in Ladner, there was a controlled release of gas, not a leak as initially believed,” FortisBC wrote on its website Thursday. “While this was part of planned work, the release contained an elevated level of an odourant, which caused a strong smell in the surrounding communities. The strong smell was unexpected and, as a result, no communications on this activity were planned. We realize the residual odour was very strong in some areas, but it is expected to dissipate. Further investigation is needed to determine why there was excess odourant.”