BCUC orders third-party investigation into BC Hydro due to explosion – BC | 24CA News
One month after BC Hydro apologized for the failures that brought on an underground electrical vault on a busy downtown Vancouver road to abruptly explode, the province’s vitality utility regulator has ordered the Crown company to submit a third-party report, addressing its tradition of security and compliance.
On July 21, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) directed BC Hydro to provoke an impartial third-party investigation analyzing the foundation reason behind the explosion and fireplace exterior the long-lasting Marine Building on Burrard Street on Feb. 24, 2023.
“We are very concerned about the incident that took place and we take safety matters seriously,” Krissy Van Loon with the BCUC informed Global News in an interview.
“It’s part of our mandate to make sure that utilities deliver safe and reliable service to their customers.”
Witnesses informed Global News it was a miracle nobody was killed.
Two folks have been injured whereas a number of companies have been broken and compelled to shut for months as repairs are accomplished.
At a press convention on June 22, BC Hydro’s president and CEO informed media the incident “should never have happened.”
The explosion attributable to a buildup of flamable gases from a leaking gasket was preventable, mentioned Chris O’Riley, who admitted BC Hydro had been warned in 2016 — when a report flagged 14 underground vaults as being excessive dangers of inflicting extreme harm or loss of life if not correctly maintained or changed.
Equipment was changed in 13 of the vaults — however not vault No. 73 within the 300 block of Burrard Street.
When requested on June 22 why nothing was finished till the vault exploded in February 2023 when it was recognized as a critical security danger seven years earlier, O’Riley answered: “The vault was identified as a risk and that information was provided to management. It was not escalated within the organization.”
“The BCUC wasn’t appropriately notified that that 2016 report had been produced and of the the risk to begin with,” mentioned Van Loon.
As a part of its probe into the explosion, BC Hydro retained a 3rd get together, Senez Consulting Ltd., to conduct an investigation into the incident.
That “Post-Incident Report” was filed with the BCUC on June 22 and on June 29, the BCUC requested additional info pertaining to BC Hydro’s investigation.
BC Hydro then filed its response “Supplemental Information” with the BCUC on July 6.
According to the BCUC, each increase “serious concerns” relating to BC Hydro’s security practices and tradition.
As a end result, the BCUC’s order directs BC Hydro to deal with its tradition of security and compliance, asset administration practices, work procedures and high quality management processes within the impartial third-party report — which is due by Nov. 30.
In an announcement, O’Riley mentioned BC Hydro is “fully supportive of this direction and [the] work will be overseen by our Board of Directors who are independent from management and appointed by our Shareholder, the Government of BC.”
“Ultimately, it’s Hydro’s fault that this happened and an accountability issue is what caused this,” mentioned JJ Bean proprietor John Neate.
Neate mentioned he’s happy to listen to of the BCUC’s order for BC Hydro.
His busy café location within the iconic Marine Building continues to be closed for repairs after the February fireplace erupted beneath his sidewalk patio, and he doesn’t anticipate he’ll be capable of reopen till Sept. 1 on the earliest.
Neate mentioned he acquired $60,000 from BC Hydro as a goodwill gesture after it admitted duty final month — however he mentioned it’s a fraction of what he suspects his harm declare will likely be.
“Maybe it was a one-time thing, maybe it’s never going to happen again, but if this is the way that accountability works throughout a whole bunch of different issues with Hydro, then many of us could be in danger,” mentioned Neate.
BC Hydro started a technical evaluation of its underground road vault tools earlier this month with the outcomes anticipated to be filed with the BCUC in March 2024.
As of April 1, the Crown company has additionally decommissioned the kind of tools used within the exploding vault throughout its system.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
