Energy East opponent says NEB’s TransCanada audit underscores concerns

CALGARY – A group fighting TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Energy East pipeline says a new National Energy Board safety audit underscores its concerns.

The Council of Canadians says the problems flagged by the audit should have Canadians worried, considering TransCanada wants to build the country’s biggest pipeline.

Mark Calzavara, the council’s Ontario regional organizer, says TransCanada is not a company that inspires confidence, given its track record.

The NEB audit, released Monday, found TransCanada (TSX:TRP) to be non-compliant in four of nine areas it examined and gave the company 30 days to file a plan detailing how it will fix the problems. TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard says the company has already taken action to address many of the issues.

Meanwhile, the NEB also says it’s looking into whether some steel pipe and fittings on TransCanada’s Keystone oil pipeline need to be improved.

TransCanada is seeking U.S. approval to expand the Keystone system to ship 830,000 barrels of mostly oilsands crude per day to Texas refineries — a proposal that has stoked much controversy south of the border.