When the price of scrap copper rises, incidents of copper theft at electrical stations, mining operations, and businesses do as well, jeopardizing the safety of the public - and the thieves.
An electrical station provides enough electricity to power at least a thousand homes, and can power up to 50,000, said Brian McMillan, vice president of distribution electrical systems at Greater Sudbury Hydro.
They are surrounded by chain-link fences to keep the public out.
"(A theft) creates a potential safety hazard for the public,” he said.
"That chain link fence (surrounding the station) is grounded to the ground grid of the distribution station through some big copper wires.”
Electricity takes the fastest and easiest route to the earth, and a ground is used to ensure electricity is harmlessly directed either to the earth, or a power grid.
"(When) people steal the big copper wires that connect the fence to the station ground... you could be exposed to high touch voltages," said McMillan.
In order for someone to be hurt, they would have to be touching an ungrounded chain-link fence at the same time an electrical fault occurred in the equipment.
"The probability that those two events are going to occur at the same time are very low, but none-the-less, that's why the wires are there in the first place," warned McMillan.
The Ontario provincial police recently released a warning, stating that theft of copper is on the rise in the northeast.
"We've had copper thefts take place at some of our stations, certainly within the last couple of years," stated McMillan. "I believe we've had some within the last year."
The risk is fairly low for the public, but very high for the thieves.
"Any conductor, which would include a copper conductor, could be connected to very high voltage live electrical equipment, or could become energized by disconnecting it from a ground," explained McMillan.
"They (thieves) can be electrocuted, which could result in death or serious injury," said McMillan, though he stated that he couldn't recall there being an incident in which someone had been injured or killed during theft since he began working with Greater Sudbury Hydro in 2002.
There are alternatives to copper wiring as grounds, such as aluminum, but it suffers more from corrosion, and needs to be replaced more often. Most utilities use copper for grounding, said McMillan.
If someone suspects that an electrical station has been tampered with, McMillan says he or she should contact the owners of the station. In Sudbury, electrical stations are owned by either Greater Sudbury Hydro, or Hydro One.
OPP say that they will seek a maximum sentence will be sought for anyone convicted of stealing copper wire from power distribution and generation sites, as well as telecommunication sites.
These sites, along with others that may be targeted by thieves, will be under police surveillance and subject to increased patrols.
The police urge anyone who is a victim of copper theft to contact police immediately. The OPP have lines open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-888-310-1122.
The site of the theft should not be disturbed or "cleaned up" until police say it is okay to do so, and also add that it is important to avoid walking where the thieves may have walked, parked their vehicle, or entered the property.
The OPP urge anyone with information regarding these thefts to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
