Innovation and commitment have helped TransCanada limit environmental impact and reduce emissions. We are proud to be recognized by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) at their annual Pollution Prevention Awards Gala. TransCanada received an honourable mention in the Greenhouse Gases Reduction Category.

The CCME awards program recognizes companies and organizations showing leadership in pollution prevention. TransCanada received recognition for the positive impacts of our Fugitive Emissions Management (FEM) Program. The awards were presented during the 10th Canadian National Pollution Prevention Roundtable held in Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 14-15.

The FEM program was initiated in 1998 when TransCanada saw the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the associated cost of lost gas by proactively detecting and repairing small leaks in our pipelines.

"We set aggressive annual targets for each region to inspect the pipeline and repair leaks," says Hasan Imran, Senior Climate Change Advisor, Community, Safety and Environment, who accepted the award on behalf of TransCanada. "Over the past six years, we have reduced the amount of gas lost through fugitive emissions by over 50 per cent."

Gas savings achieved through TransCanada's emission reduction strategy are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2E). In 2004, TransCanada saved 137,000 tonnes of CO2E through the Fugitive Emissions Management (FEM) Program. That reduction is equivalent to planting 167,000 trees, taking 33,000 cars off the road or the amount of gas needed to heat 2,150 homes for a year.

TransCanada is the first company to use a web-based system to record identified leaks and track repairs.

"TransCanada is recognized as an industry leader in gas emission reduction strategies," says Hasan, "and we strive to share our developed expertise with other companies in the industry and regulatory bodies."

For more information on the FEM program, please contact Hasan Imran at 403.920.7270.