B.C. pipeline rupture halts trash service to many Eastside cities

Waste Management fleet without fuel; PSE has urged customers to reduce consumption.

Garbage, recycling and compost collection services for Waste Management customers in King and Snohomish counties will be suspended indefinitely as of today after a natural gas pipeline ruptured in British Columbia.

The pipeline rupture interrupted natural gas deliveries for Puget Sound Energy which the agency uses for its collection trucks. It is unknown how long the disruption will last. The Eastside cities of Kirkland, Redmond, Snoqualmie and unincorporated King and Snohomish counties are affected.

According to The Herald, a sister publication of the Reporter, the pipeline exploded on Tuesday (Oct. 9) evening. Puget Sound Energy uses fuel from the pipeline and asked customers on social media Wednesday (Oct. 10) to conserve natural gas and electricity. PSE has about 800,000 customers in the Puget Sound area and services the metropolitan Eastside.

However, as of Thursday afternoon (Oct. 11) PSE said the system had stabilized and its power grid was returning to normal operations. Customers may resume regular gas usage. There was no loss of electric or natural gas service resulting from the explosion, a press release from PSE said.

The Enbridge pipeline exploded about 600 miles northeast of Vancouver, B.C. It connects to the Northwest Pipeline system which runs through Puget Sound to Portland. No injuries were reported, but the explosion forced some 100 members of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation from their homes, The Herald reported.

This story will be updated as more information become available.