Response Training
TC Energy collaborates with emergency responders in exercises and training to raise awareness and help keep communities safe by offering training opportunities:
- Tailored in-person town halls, where TC Energy and IAFC representatives, along with local emergency responders, exchange ideas on emergency preparedness in the rare case of a pipeline incident, develop preplans and participate in joint tabletop exercises.
- Online pipeline emergency response training at awareness, operations and technician levels through the National Association of State Fire Marshals’ First Responders’ website.
Signs of a Potential Pipeline Leak
Although a pipeline leak is rare, it is important to know how to recognize the signs. Use your senses of smelling, seeing and hearing to detect a potential pipeline leak.
What you may smell
- Many petroleum products have a distinct smell. Crude oil can possess a rotten egg, gasoline, tar or “skunk-like” odor
What you may see
- Amber to black liquid
- Rainbow sheen or black liquid on top of water
- Discolored vegetation on or near a pipeline in an area that is usually green
- Stained or melted snow/ice over pipeline areas
What you may hear
- A hissing or roaring sound
If you suspect a leak, call TC Energy's emergency number: 1-800-447-8066. This number can be found on all pipeline marker signs and facility gates.
Responding to a Pipeline Incident
A pipeline incident could involve an uncontrolled or unplanned release of oil from the pipeline system. TC Energy’s state-of-the-art leak-detection systems, elevated safety features and specially trained staff make us confident leaks would be quickly identified and responded to.
In the unlikely event of an incident, TC Energy’s top priorities are to ensure the safety of the public and minimize effects on the environment and surrounding properties.
Pipeline incident response includes:
- TC Energy will immediately respond by shutting down the pipeline and dispatching emergency personnel to the location of the incident
- Valves spaced at intervals along all TC Energy pipelines will be shut off allowing incidents to be quickly and effectively isolated
- Trained crews are dispatched to the site to further isolate the area and coordinate a response with local emergency services
- TC Energy will not restart the pipeline until the issue has been identified, resolved and it is safe to do so
- TC Energy’s policies and practices for emergency response planning go above and beyond the standard regulatory requirements for emergency response
- TC Energy does not expect volunteer or dedicated local fire departments to have the equipment or specific experience needed to respond to a leak or rupture
- TC Energy works with emergency response officials in a Unified Command to ensure everyone are familiar with local operations and is ready to respond in the event of an incident
- Our crews will respond immediately
Do
- Protect yourselves and the public
- Contain and extinguish any secondary fires if safe to do so
- Refer to 128 in the 2012 ERG for guidance on initial response including potential evacuation distances
- Provide traffic and crowd control
- Secure the site – ensure public safety. Keep a safe distance away
- Stay upwind and uphill if possible
- Monitor for LEL, H2S and benzene if possible
- Evacuate unnecessary personnel
- Eliminate all ignition sources if safe to do so
- Provide first aid as needed
- Allow TC Energy employees clear access to the emergency site
Do Not
- Attempt to operate any valves
- Go near the spill until a hazard assessment has been conducted by TC Energy
- Attempt to contain the oil or try to identify the oil
Pipeline Maps
Detailed maps of TC Energy's pipeline network across North America can be found on TC Energy’s website. Maps of all multi-operator pipelines in your community can be found on the National Pipeline Mapping System website.
Emergency Response Training
TC Energy's corporate emergency response program and related emergency response plans can be reviewed their website website’s safety section. Review PHMSA’s Emergency Response guidebook online.
Emergency Response Guidebook
Be prepared: Download and review PHMSA’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) and App
Integrity Management Programs (IMPS)
In accordance with federal regulations, some segments along TC Energy’s pipelines have been designated as High Consequence Areas (HCAs). To maintain the integrity of these HCAs, TC Energy has developed supplemental hazard assessment and prevention programs called Integrity Management Programs (IMPs). These programs may include internal inspections, external evaluations, and pressure tests. For information regarding these measures, contact TC Energy and ask to speak with the U.S. IMP Program Manager.
The Safety of Our Pipelines
TC Energy’s goal is to ensure that their pipeline and energy facilities operate safely every day and that the public, their employees, first responders and the environment are never negatively affected by an incident involving any assets.
TC Energy commitment to safety has ensure their top industry safety record in terms of the rate and severity of incidents at facilities; however, w every incident is preventable and they strive daily toward their goal of zero safety incidents.
For more information on how TC Energy ensures their assets are safe and reliable, visit www.tcenergy.com.
Excavators, Landowners and Farmers
- Call ‘811’ before you dig by hand or with machinery. The call and the service are free, and could prevent accidents, injuries or deaths
- Unauthorized digging by contractors, farmers, landscapers and homeowners is a leading cause of pipeline accidents
- TC Energy is a member of the ‘811’ system in all states where it has facilities
- Advise others to contact TC Energy before performing any activity that might damage the pipeline
- Ensure contractors are aware of safe digging procedures and have called ‘811’ for a locate
Contact TC Energy if:
- You observe any drilling, excavating or blasting near a pipeline that you believe we may not be aware of
- Crossing our pipeline with heavy equipment
- General Inquiries: 1-866-717-7473
- Landowner Inquiries: U.S. 1-866-585-7063 (Note: this line is monitored Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 6 PM CST.)
Pipeline Location
Most pipelines are buried underground in an area of cleared land often referred to as the “right-of-way” and markers are used to indicate a pipeline’s approximate location as well as the name of the pipeline and the operator’s information. Only a TC Energy representative can determine the location and depth of the pipeline as it may not follow a straight course between marker signs
If you intend to use our pipeline right-of-way for a fire break, a TC Energy representative must be present.
You can access further information regarding hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission pipelines located in your community by visiting the National Pipeline Mapping System website
Pipeline Markers
Most pipelines are buried underground in an area of cleared land often referred to as the “right-of-way” and markers are used to indicate a pipeline’s approximate location as well as the name of the pipeline and the operator’s information
Only a TC Energy representative can determine the location and depth of the pipeline as it may not follow a straight course between marker signs
If you intend to use our pipeline right-of-way for a fire break, a TC Energy representative must be present
You can access further information regarding hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission pipelines located in your community by visiting the National Pipeline Mapping System website
- Pipeline marker signs contain important information, including the owner of the pipeline, the product shipped in the pipeline and emergency contact numbers
- TC Energy uses a variety of markers and signs along rights-of-way to alert people to the general location of its pipelines. Markers are typically placed where the pipeline intersects streets, railroads, rivers, fence rows and in heavily congested areas
- Do not rely on pipeline markers or signs to show you the pipeline’s location, path or depth. Instead call ‘811’. TC Energy and other utilities will send a representative to the proposed excavation site to mark buried utilities at no cost to you
- It is against the law to willfully and knowingly deface, damage, remove or destroy any pipeline sign. If these signs are missing, damaged or otherwise unreadable, please contact TC Energy to replace them
Safety Partnerships
TC Energy is committed to the safety and wellbeing of the communities near their operations. Therefore, they support non-profit organizations that enable emergency personnel to respond effectively to local needs, focus on emergency preparedness and promote energy and pipeline safety education.
If your department or organization would like to apply for funding, please complete this application.