[caption id="attachment_78496" align="aligncenter" width="630"] manitoba pipeline explosion Leaves Thousands Without Heat[/caption]

Manitoba Pipeline Explosion Stops Heat to Thousands
Residents south of Winnipeg may be without heat for a few days due to a large explosion on Saturday that was the latest in infrastructure failures across North America that have been blamed on the intense cold.

In addition to the Province of Manitoba, residents in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were warned that natural gas supplies were at risk in some communities. An appeal to individuals living in these cities and towns to conserve the heating gas was made by Xcel Energy, a "major U.S. electric and natural gas company" according to their website.

"[R]elief is needed this winter from the current market rules that demonstrably impose an untenable requirement for below-cost sales when fuel costs rise to levels already seen this winter," PJM Interconnection said in its filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC approved the request on Jan. 24.

With wind chill temperatures reaching as low as a frigid 45 degrees F below zero, the loss of the ability to provide heat created an emergency situation to areas affected. Emergency officials have attempted to supply emergency compressed natural gas to those most in need, but stormy conditions have made the efforts difficult.

Customers being affected by the outage are being asked to use any available means to conserve heat, such as making sure windows and doors remain closed, using electric heaters, piling on blankets, and keeping tap water running to reduce the risk of bursting pipes.

There were no injuries from the blast.

TransCanada will compensate anyone affected for their direct costs incurred because of the gas outage, said Johannson.

Despite the incident, TransCanada insists that people living near pipelines should not be worried for their safety.

"Even with this incident, when you look at our record, it is world class," Johannson said. "I don't think residents around the pipeline should be concerned."

"TransCanada takes this very, very seriously," he added. "That's what we do, we move natural gas in pipelines…. It deeply, deeply, concerns us."

For the most up-to-date information on community conditions, residents are asked to contact Manitoba Hydro or their local municipality.

• Rural Municipality of Hanover (Kleefeld, Grunthal, New Bothwell, Friedensfeld)

Location – Steinbach RM Office, 28 Westland Dr.

Public inquiry line: 204-326-4488, ext. 6120

Public information officer:  204-326-4488, ext. 6135

• RM of De Salaberry (Dufrost, St. Malo, St-Pierre-Jolys, Otterburne)

Location – St-Pierre-Jolys Town Office, 555 Hebert Ave.

Public inquiry line:  204-433-7406

• RM of Richot

Location – St. Adolphe Emergency Operations Centre, fire hall

Public inquiry line:  204-883-2918

• Niverville

Location – Niverville Town Office, 86 Main St.

Public inquiry line:  204-388-4600

Warming shelters

• RM of Hanover

Grunthal – Abundant Life Church, PR 216 South

New Bothwell – Christian Fellowship Church, 20 Sara Ave.

• RM of De Salaberry

The Manor Retirement Home, 449 Jolys Ave., St-Pierre-Jolys

St. Malo Chalet Retirement Home

Otterburne residents to use St-Pierre-Jolys, Dufrost to use St. Malo

• Town of Niverville

Niverville Heritage Centre – 2 Ave. S, Niverville.

On The Web:

Pipeline explosion leaves thousands in Canada without heat (+video)
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2014/0127/Pipeline-explosion-leaves-thousands-in-Canada-without-heat-video