(Sherbrooke, Quebec, 20 August 2004) - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will hold a news conference Tuesday to release the TSB's final report on the investigation into the compressor station explosion at East Hereford, Quebec, on 28 December 2000. Who: Ian Naish, TSB Director of Investigations, and Conrad Bellehumeur, Chief of Communications Where: Delta Sherbrooke Hotel, 2685 King Street West, Sherbrooke, Quebec When: 24 August 2004 at 10:30 a.m. On the afternoon of 28 December 2000, in a small, rural community in Quebec's Eastern Townships, an explosion occurred at the East Hereford compressor station after a release of natural gas. A maintenance person was seriously injured. Earlier in the day, the station had been closed due to the unintended initiation of the station's emergency shutdown system. The explosion occurred after the maintenance worker was sent to restart the station. Several nearby homes and commercial buildings were damaged by flying debris and the aftershocks of the blast. The East Hereford compressor station itself had to be completely rebuilt. - 30 - A copy of report number P00H0061 will be available on the TSB web site at www.tsb.gc.ca Tuesday, 24 August 2004, at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact: John Cottreau Media Relations Advisor Transportation Safety Board of Canada (819) 994-8053
