Sinkholes caused by Trans Mountain pipeline work stoke concerns on Langley farm

Farmer Rob Rindt was driving by his Langley Township farm when he spotted a gaping hole on the edge of his property on Saturday.

It was the fifth sinkhole he'd seen in the area in eight weeks — three of which have emerged on his land.

"It was the largest, about 10 feet in diameter and about 30 feet deep," he told CBC News.

"My first thought was one of my kids falling down the hole because they roam the field quite regularly, driving around on golf carts and just being kids on the farm," he said.

The sinkholes — including one in the middle of the road on 240 Street — are the byproduct of ongoing Trans Mountain pipeline expansion work near Rindt's home.

Crews have been in the process of completing a horizontal directional drill at 240 Street near 80th Avenue in Langley Township, a Trans Mountain spokesperson said in a statement.

The trenchless construction method is used to tunnel beneath watercourse crossings, railways, highways, sensitive environmental areas and in places with restricted workspaces, such as urban areas.

"We have encountered challenging ground conditions in the area that have resulted in the formation of a small number of localized sinkholes, which is not unexpected," the company said.

Trans Mountain says the holes have been temporarily stabilized.

Sinkhole sightings

Rindt, who is also a recently-elected Langley Township city councillor, says there have been a number of other reports of sinkholes in the community, including at a golf course that has been closed as the pipeline construction runs through it.

"The first one, they said it was a localized incident, and then I find out they've been popping up all over the township." 

CBC News reached out to the Township for comment, which deferred comment to Trans Mountain. The Canadian government-owned pipeline company did not specify how many reports it's had of localized sinkholes.

Rindt said there was never any warning about possible sinkholes ahead of the construction through his property, where he also runs a craft distillery.

"I want to know there's going to be no other sinkholes popping up in the rest of the property because the first concern is my kids, and the second is my crew," said Rindt.

"I want it fixed properly, and I want to be reassured that another sinkhole is not going to happen in our field, where it could possibly injure or kill somebody," he added.

Trans Mountain says the trenchless crossing is complete, and the sinkholes will be permanently repaired in consultation with landowners.

Work in the area is expected to continue through the summer.

The Trans Mountain pipeline, which is 1,150 kilometres long, carries 300,000 barrels of oil per day and is Canada's only pipeline system transporting oil from Alberta to the West Coast.

Its expansion will twin the existing pipeline, raising daily output to 890,000 barrels to support Canadian crude oil production growth and ensure access to global energy markets.

The expanded pipeline, whose costs have grown to an estimated $30.9 billion, is expected to be in service in the first quarter of 2024.