Waste Management

Our operations produce mostly non-hazardous wastes, consisting of paper, scrap metals, package materials and construction-related materials, and typically generate limited amounts of hazardous wastes. We work to reduce these volumes through measurement and management programs at our various facilities.

Last year, Gas Distribution generated about 958 tonnes of non-hazardous waste. Of this total, 444 tonnes, or 46% of the total weight, were diverted from landfill. Contributing to this decrease were recycling programs for materials such as scrap polyethylene pipe, which is collected and converted off site into plastic construction board.

For many years Gas Distribution has had procedures in place to manage hazardous wastes in its operations. During the year, we integrated these practices for greater consistency across the company. We also registered 38 sites, including gate stations and fleet garages,under the provincial government's Hazardous Waste Information Network. In 2003, these sites reported 196,000 litres of liquid hazardous waste and 2,200 kilograms of solid hazardous waste.

As we continue to consolidate buildings in Gas Distribution, the types and volume of waste materials in this operation are expected to steadily decrease.

In 2003, Liquids Pipelines collected an estimated 46 tonnes of recycled material, of which the largest material was office paper. We also recycle oily rags and wood pallets, but do not track the recycling of these materials.

Since the late 1980s, Liquids Pipelines has carried out a program to remove PCB-containing materials from its operations. During the year, the company sent its final inventory of PCB-containing equipment to an approved disposal site and closed a PCB storage facility in Glenboro, Manitoba, to the satisfaction of the regulators.

We continue to focus on opportunities to further improve our waste management practices.

During the year, the National Energy Board conducted an audit of the Liquids Pipelines System, which identified opportunities for improvement in waste management training for employees. We are developing various strategies to address these deficiencies. In 2004, we will implement a training matrix and schedule to address this issue.

Our U.S.Natural Gas Business is also carrying out an inventory of its different waste streams, focusing on recently acquired gathering pipeline systems in Texas. These activities will be used in 2004 to develop a comprehensive waste management and minimization plan.

Dufour Petroleum opens CO2 plant

We seek beneficial uses of waste products that complement our core businesses and create new sources of revenue.

In 2003, Dufour Petroleum, our U.S. trucking services business, launched its US$3.5-million CO2 plant in New Orleans. The facility manufactures food- grade CO2 by taking CO2 emissions from a nearby hydrogen production plant and purifying the raw emissions to create a new and marketable product. Using our trucking fleet, the finished product is transported to various customers along the Gulf Coast, for use in soft drinks and other carbonated products.

During its first year of operation, the plant recovered, purified and liquefied more than 47,000 tonnes of CO2.

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