Irving Oil butane line cleared to resume operations after leak forced evacuation

An Irving Oil butane line that ruptured earlier this month, forcing the evacuation of part of Saint John's east side, has been approved to resume operations, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board announced on Friday.

A network of continuous leak detection monitors have been installed along the length of the pipeline system and will immediately notify the company's control centre of any issues,the EUB said in a statement.

The pipeline has also been tested for thickness and corrosion and"all readings exceeded standards," said the EUB, whichisresponsible for licensing pipelines carrying hazardous materials.

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"With this approval the pipeline could be operational later today," it said.

Butane is a colourless, highly flammable gas derived from petroleum.Inhaled, it can cause nausea, asphyxia and arrhythmia.

The leak in thefour-inchpipethat runs from the Irving Saint John East Terminal on Bayside Drive to the Irving Oil refinery was discoveredJan. 8, when employees were making checks in preparation for doing maintenance work.

About 84 area residents were forced from their homes for days and Bayside Drive remained closed from the Courtenay Bay Causeway to Red Head Road, snarling traffic.

Cause still unknown

An investigation into the cause of the leak continues, said the EUB.

There is still no word on when the leak started or how much butane leaked.

A preliminary investigation suggested the leak was the result of a "small freeze split" related to extreme cold weather,Mark Sherman, Irving Oil vice-president and chief operating officer had said.

The pipeline has been repaired and raised so it will be less susceptible to constraints during the natural expansion and contraction with temperature changes, the EUBsaid.

All of the work was inspected by the EUB's pipeline safety inspectors.

The EUB,an independent quasi-judicial board, had told Irving Oil it would not be allowed to resume operations until the company demonstrated it could operate the pipeline safely.

The pipeline is owned by Irving Oil Terminals and Pipelines G.P.