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News Release     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ERCB INVESTIGATING SWEET GAS PIPELINE RUPTURE NEAR SHERWOOD PARK

Calgary, Alberta (August 6, 2008) The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) is investigating a rupture at a sweet gas pipeline south of Sherwood Park which occurred at 10 a.m. this morning.

The leak occurred when a tractor cutting grass near the intersection of Highway 21 and Township Road 522 struck a regulator control panel above ground over a two-inch sweet gas pipeline licensed to ATCO Gas and Pipelines Ltd. The ERCB was notified and staff arrived at the site shortly after the incident happened. The pipeline was shut in around noon and sweet gas was bled out of the pipeline to depressurize it. As a precaution, a portion of Township Road 522 was closed while the system was being depressurized.

There were no injuries. All appropriate authorities were notified.

As is normal practice, the ERCB will conduct an investigation into the incident.

The pipeline failure rate in Alberta was at a record low 2.1 failures per 1000 km of pipeline in 2007, down 30% since 2000 (when there were 3.3 per 1000 km).  There are over 400,000 km of ERCB-regulated pipeline in Alberta.

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For more information, please contact:

Davis Sheremata
ERCB Communications
Cell: 403-605-4216

NR2008-21