Cornwall Contractor Fined Following TSSA Safety Investigation
Local Contractor prosecuted for damaging pipeline
(Toronto, ON, March 14, 2019) – Following a Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) investigation, Cornwall contractor Maylon Excavation Ltd. pled guilty to two counts of damaging a natural gas pipeline, contrary to the Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems Regulation (Ontario 210/01).
The charges were laid subsequent to a TSSA inspector’s investigation of damage to a natural gas pipeline on 5th
Street in Cornwall, Ontario in December 2016, and another incident of the same nature on Beach Road, Cornwall
in June 2017. On March 5, 2019, Maylon Excavation Ltd. pled guilty to two counts of damaging a pipeline; they
were fined $10,000 for each, plus the mandatory 25% victim fine surcharge, for a total $25,000.
“Hitting a pipeline with pressurized gas is a significant risk to public safety,” said John Marshall, Director of
TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program. “It can cause explosions, damage, injury and death. That’s why Ontario has
stringent laws around pipeline safety, including rules to obtain a valid locate before breaking ground and to handdig
within one metre of utility markings.”
TSSA reminds the public that any excavation work must comply with Ontario’s safety laws, including obtaining a
valid pipeline locate from the license holder or gas utility before breaking ground and not using mechanical
equipment while digging within one metre of a pipeline. Free locates can be obtained from Ontario One Call at 1-
800-400-2255 or visit http://on1call.com.
Ontario Regulation 210/01 prohibits interfering with or damaging a pipeline. Any damage and/or subsequent
release of gas should be immediately reported to the Ministry of Environment’s Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-
6060 or by contacting TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772.
