Authorities discover bomb blast in gas pipeline

Authorities discovered a second bomb blast at an EnCana natural gas pipeline in a remote area approximately 30 mi/50 km from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, on 16 October 2008. It is not known when the blast occurred. The explosion resulted in the release of a small quantity of sour natural gas, which contains the dangerous chemical compound hydrogen sulfide. There were no reports of injuries from the blast. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) terrorist unit suspects that the blast is linked to an incident that occurred near the same area on 11 October 2008. A local news outlet received a threatening letter earlier in October advising oil and natural gas companies to leave the area. An eco-terrorist group previously launched attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in nearby Alberta during the 1990s in a campaign against sour natural gas. EnCana has increased security at its facilities and has suspended operations in the area.