The British Columbia government is lifting a restriction on gasoline for the general public that was imposed after floods and landslides cut off supplies.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the 30-liter limit per visit to the pumps was effective and will be lifted Tuesday.
Gasoline and diesel rationing went into effect on November 19 for drivers in the Lower Continent, Vancouver Island, and other locations in southern British Columbia to ensure there was enough fuel for essential traffic, such as emergency vehicles. and supply chain transportation.
“We asked people to come together and they did. We could have failed or we could have succeeded, and we did it because people did the right thing,” Farnworth said during a news conference on recovering from the floods on Monday.
He said that with the additional fuel still arriving by barge and rail, the government is relying on the supply chain.
The Trans Mountain Pipeline carries most of the fuel to southern British Columbia, but was shut down for three weeks as a precautionary measure when a series of storms hit the area.
The pipeline resumed operations on December 5 under reduced pressure and the company said it expected to return to normal capacity within a week.
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Farnworth also announced a two-week extension to the provincial state of emergency as crews continue to work to reopen roads and while traffic on some major routes is limited to essential services.
The order restricts nonessential travel on Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton and Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet.
“I know road closures and restrictions are challenging, but they are necessary to maintain a constant flow of goods throughout the province,” Farnworth said.
The government of British Columbia will lift the 30-liter gas limit for the general public on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. #BCFlood #BCPoli
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming announced the work of crews who have “defied the odds” in their progress on the Coquihalla highway. The main arterial line could be reopened even before the early January date announced late last week, he said.
Fleming visited workplaces along the highway on Friday with federal Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra, describing the damage as “unfathomable.”
More than 20 sites along a 130-kilometer corridor were affected by landslides and mudslides. About 300 workers are using 200 pieces of heavy equipment to repair site by site 24 hours a day, he said.
“La Coquihalla is buzzing with construction activity every waking hour,” Fleming said.
The highway was originally scheduled to reopen in late January after damage from last month’s storm.
A full briefing is scheduled this week that will include details on the scope of the repairs and a reopening schedule for commercial traffic in Coquihalla, as well as details on when Highway 3 may be reassigned to general traffic, Fleming said.
“I hope that by Wednesday we can give something much more precise,” he says.
The Health Ministry advised owners of private drinking water wells in areas that had been flooded to monitor water quality.
In a press release Monday, it said all well water should be considered “not for human consumption” until the well is evaluated and the water is disinfected and tested.
The Health Ministry said it was working with the Fraser Health and Home Health authorities to make free sample kits and bacteria tests available.
– By Amy Smart in Vancouver.
This Canadian Press report was first published on December 13, 2021.
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com