Our Environmental Performance

WASTE

OUR IMPACTS

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.

In 2004, Enbridge Gas Distribution generated about 998 tonnes of non-hazardous waste. Of this total, 469 tonnes, or 47% of the total weight, were diverted from landfill.

Our hazardous materials include oily water, paint solvents and antifreeze, as well as odorant, which is added to natural gas in small quantities for public safety. We work to reduce these volumes through measurement and management programs at our various facilities.

Enbridge Gas Distribution reports liquid and solid hazardous waste materials to the Ontario Hazardous Waste Information Network. For the fiscal year ended October 2004, we reported 230,000 litres of liquid hazardous waste and nearly 2,300 kilograms of solid hazardous waste, up 17% and 4% respectively over 2003 levels. The increase in the amount of hazardous waste was largely due to in-line inspection activities from Enbridge Gas Distribution's new pipeline integrity program and the pumping of water from underground gate station equipment.

OUR PERFORMANCE

Reusing and recycling by-products

We minimize the amount of waste from our operations, wherever possible, by reducing the amount of waste we generate or by finding beneficial reuse of waste by-products. For example, in Liquids Pipelines, we clean storage tanks with petroleum-based diluents, such as diesel fuel, that can be pumped and re-injected as product into our pipeline system. In Enbridge Gas Distribution, we collect scrap polyethylene pipe, which is converted off-site into plastic construction board.

Improving the way we track and report wastes

One of our priorities is to promote consistent waste management practices across our businesses. The development of waste management tracking and training programs helps our employees achieve better waste recovery and meet regulations.

Enbridge Gas Distribution uses an online tracking program to report waste materials to the Ontario Hazardous Waste Information Network. Information from this system is shared with EH&S professionals, facilities services managers and gate station engineers to enhance tracking and reporting of waste materials, and identify opportunities for improvement. Liquids Pipelines has also developed a new waste management training program for operations employees. In 2004, three operating regions in Canada began the comprehensive training, which covers regulations, reporting of wastes and different techniques for waste disposal and treatment.

In the United States, Liquids Pipelines developed an online database tool designed to assist field staff to better understand their roles and responsibilities in tracking and reporting wastes. This tool will be rolled out to employees in 2005.

The Don River in Toronto runs through one of Canada's most urbanized river watersheds, and protecting its environmental integrity is a constant challenge. In 2004, Enbridge Gas Distribution had to restore an area of pipeline bordering the river. A 10-metre (33-foot) segment of the pipeline had become exposed due to years of erosion on the riverbank. Under regulations, the company must maintain a cover of half a metre over distribution pipelines, so remedial work was required. But Enbridge Gas Distribution went further than simply covering the exposed area of pipe, deciding instead to restore a 50-metre (165-foot) segment of the Don riverbank. "This section of riverbank is near a busy pathway used by pedestrians and cyclists. If the pipe wasn't protected, the path would have had to move," says Reinhard Langos, Manager of Environment Health and Safety at Enbridge Gas Distribution. "We do our utmost to maintain the integrity of the environment in which we operate." Enbridge Gas Distribution carried out a comprehensive planning and approval process for the remedial work. Key elements of the three-year project, finished in 2004, included installing a temporary dam, excavating part of the riverbank, installing an erosion blanket and planting shrubs. Langos says the project has resulted in ensuring the riverbank's long-term stability, aesthetic appeal and natural regeneration capacity.

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At Enbridge, there are no dividing lines between good business practices and being a responsible company — one that is ethical, is a steward of the environment, is safe, engages its stakeholders and is attentive to social needs.

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