By Courtney Mintenko

TransGas pipeline will be buried deep to preserve bones

Oct 24, 2013 | 5:08 PM

A TransGas pipeline near Bethune is being redesigned after crews discovered some ancient remains in the proposed path of the project.

Crews have been digging there, building a new connection line to service a potash mine that is planned for the area. The human bones they found date back to pre-contact period, meaning before European Settlers arrived. They could be as much as 1,000 years old.

After the discovery last week the chief of the Carry The Kettle First Nation expressed concern about the work continuing. Barry Kennedy said that certain ceremonies would likely need to be performed because based on the band's observation of the area the bones are likely Nakota Nation ancestors.

The company has now determined that it can simply dig deeper.

“We will instead use what we call trenchless technology-that means we're going deep,” explained Dave Burdeniuk with SaskEnergy (TransGas' parent company). “We're going to be at a depth of between 30 feet and 150 feet.”

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Normally pipelines are installed at a “trench depth” of six feet; the ground surface can be disturbed, as was the case when the bones were unearthed. The trenchless method doesn't disturb the surface and will run for a full kilometre through the area to ensure other burial sites, if there are any, won't be disturbed.

“It is directional boring … so we'll use a drilling rig to get our pipeline that deep.”

Burdeniuk said the company has used the method many times before; most recently it was used to run pipe underneath the TransCanada Highway. The change isn't expected to push the project over-budget.

SaskEnergy is still working with the first nations groups on how to properly restore the site where the remains were found. A sacred blessing ritual was held on Wednesday with Carry The Kettle representatives and Nakota Nation elders.

news@panow.com

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