Coastal GasLink stops work on pipeline in northern B.C., says traps placed on site

CoastalGasLinkhas stopped work on a pipeline project in northwestern B.C. where 14 people were arrested earlier this month.

In a notice posted on itswebsiteThursday, the company says it halted work in an area south of Houston, B.C., because traps had been placed inside construction boundaries and people were entering the site, raising safety concerns.

The company says it was working with the RCMP to address the issue.

Earlier this week, theUnist'ot'enClan of theWet'suwet'enNation alleged on social media that pipeline contractors had driven a bulldozer through the heart of one of theirtraplinessouth of Houston, which they say violates the Wildlife Act by interfering with lawful trapping.

The company says its work in the area has been fully approved and permitted, and it reminded the public that unauthorized access to an active construction site where heavy equipment is being used can be dangerous.

The pipeline will run through Wet'suwet'en territory to LNG Canada's planned $40 billion export facility in Kitimat, on B.C.'s North Coast.