Mounties are continuing to investigate the cause of a second explosion on an EnCana natural gas pipeline in northern B.C. while also working to calm residents' fears.
Thursday's blast came less than a week after a letter threatening oil producers was circulated to Dawson Creek media outlets, as well as an explosion on another EnCana-owned line near the town on Oct. 11.
RCMP Sgt. Tim Shields yesterday said members of the explosive disposal unit, the national post-blast team, the Dawson Creek detachment and local search and rescue members are conducting a grid search at the site of the second explosion.
"Essentially, these individuals are combing the area looking for any item that is out of place and could provide a clue to investigators," Shields said about the search, which began Friday.
Meanwhile, representatives from EnCana and the RCMP met about 200 residents from the Tomslake, B.C., area at a town-hall meeting Friday night to discuss the investigation and EnCana's operations.
"People are concerned, but there is definitely the sense that everybody wants to work together to catch whomever is responsible -- this attitude greatly helps the police by increasing the eyes and ears that are able to collect information and get those tips to investigators," said Shields
The latest blast site was discovered about 9:15 a.m. Thursday by two electricians and, similar to an Oct. 11 detonation 50 km east of Dawson Creek, targeted a juncture where the pipeline emerges from the ground.
The anonymous Oct. 10 letter demanded oil and gas producers leave the area, labelling them "terrorists" that are "endangering our families."
Terrorism expert John Thompson, president of the Toronto-based Mackenzie Institute, said the fact the bombings weren't preceded by other incidents of protest and vandalism suggests they're likely the work of one or two people working alone rather than organized environmental groups mounting a broader campaign.
The bombings have brought back memories of Wiebo Ludwig, an Alberta farmer who spent nearly two years in prison on charges related to oilpatch bombing and vandalism in the 1990s.
He said a message is being sent.
"We talked for six years to authorities, wrote letters ad nauseam and everybody just passed the buck. And when you get to that point you say, well, there's only one thing. You gotta do something to shake them up," Ludwig said.
