CTV.ca News Staff
02/11/2008 11:40:33 AM
Investigators believe local perpetrators are behind three recent pipeline blasts in northeastern British Columbia, and are concerned about the increasingly "brazen" nature of the attacks on EnCana facilities.
RCMP Sgt. Tim Shields told reporters Saturday that police believe whoever is responsible for the pipeline blasts likely has knowledge of the area where the attacks have occurred.
"When looking at when and where the attacks occurred, it is safe to say that the person or persons responsible knows how to locate the sites and has knowledge of the sites," he said.
"For a person to have this information, they would likely have to be from the immediate area or have spent significant time in the area."
Shields said police are also concerned that the blasts are moving towards populated areas.
"We're taking this very seriously," he said. "This is an attack on the critical infrastructure of Canada."
The first blast occurred Oct. 11 near a sour gas line, about 50 kilometres east of Dawson Creek, B.C.
Five days later, a second blast occurred along a pipeline off Highway 2, about a half-kilometer from the Alberta border.
The latest blast, which Shields characterized as "the more brazen attack out of the three," occurred just after noon on Friday about 12 km northeast of Tomslake, B.C., a small rural community just west of the B.C.-Alberta border.
Workers at the EnCana facility remained at the site at midday on Saturday, working to stop the flow of gas along the pipelines.
Karen Goodings, district chairwoman for the Peace River Regional District, said local residents also believe there is a local connection to the attacks.
"I don't know who this person (or) people are but I wish they would realize how much they are putting other people -- and themselves -- at risk," she told The Canadian Press.
Shields said the third blast was not reported by local residents.
"This often occurs when people think that somebody else will inform the authorities," he said. "We, of course, would rather have duplicate calls to ensure that we are aware of any potential situation."
"For investigators and from a public safety standpoint, it's important for police to receive the information as soon as possible to contain the scene and potentially catch whomever is responsible for these acts."
With files from The Canadian Press