The board will release a recommendation report for Kinder Morgan’s $5.4 billion Trans Mountain project.
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A positive recommendation would lift a major hurdle to the expansion, but Trans Mountain, like other pipeline projects in Canada, still has a long way to go before shovels are in the ground.
“On the whole, taking into account all evidence in the hearing, considering all relevant factors, and give that there are considerable benefits nationally, regionally, and locally, the board found that the benefits of the project would outweigh the residual burdens”, NEB Chief Environment Officer, Dr. Robert Steedman said.
“The NEB has no credibility and the approval of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline today has no legitimacy in the eyes of the 17 First Nations, 20 municipalities and millions of British Columbians from all walks of life who oppose this pipeline”.
“The Federal Government has added additional barriers to seeing an actual pipeline get built here” Scholz says, “with the addition of a panel that’s going to be doing further consultation which we feel is already embedded in our national institutions through the National Energy Board”.
“We’re very disappointed that the National Energy Board did not have a fulsome process that welcomed in all voices, that looked at the impacts of climate change resulting from this proposal, that looked at the impacts on Vancouver’s economy, which are inevitable when there is an oil spill in our waters”.
NEB has issued a 533-page report recommending the Governor in Council approve the project, subject to 157 conditions.
At an official announcement May 19, the NEB acknowledged that the twinning project will generate a “significant” amount of greenhouse gases and that increased oil tanker traffic will likely have “significant adverse effects” on resident killer whales.
Finally, Trudeau now must make a position that could put him at odds with B.C.’s provincial government.
The National Energy Board has announced that consultations with communities along the pipeline route will begin in August and its final report should be completed by March 2018.
The Collaborative Group of Landowners Affected by Pipelines (CGLAP), a group of dozens of local farmers whose properties the pipeline crosses, has asked for Kinder Morgan to pay them royalties.
There was fierce opposition to the project and the process throughout the energy board’s hearing, with the British Columbia government and cities of Vancouver and Burnaby opposing the expansion. The country’s energy industry has lobbied hard for the expanded pipeline capacity, arguing it is needed to allow more of landlocked Alberta’s oil sands crude to reach global markets.
Alberta’s oil sands producers are desperate to get their product to worldwide markets, where it can fetch a higher price, and are pushing for the construction of new lines to Canada’s east and west coasts.
“I totally have 100-per-cent faith that we will continue to have veto power over projects like this”.
“This decision is a milestone for the future of Canada”, said CAPP President and CEO Tim McMillan.
On Thursday, Kinder Morgan issued a short statement saying it was pleased the project was found in the public interest.
The federal government has seven months to consider the multi-billion dollar project that many First Nations communities have warned against.
“It is our hope that we provide a sustainable process for resources development and economic growth within Kamloops, B.C. and across Canada”, Scorgie added.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson calls those conditions laughable.
Observers pointed out cabinet’s decision will also be influenced by a newly required assessment of upstream greenhouse gases emitted as oil is produced before it gets to the pipeline.
On the campaign trail prior to the last federal election, the Liberal party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to overhaul Canada’s pipeline review process in order to restore public faith in the process.
The likelihood of a major spill is very low, though the potential significance of a spill is very high, leading to imposed conditions including emergency preparedness and response as well as safety of the operations, the board said.
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That’s why the ICBA is encouraging the Federal Government to say yes to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Eight First Nations, four environmental groups and one labour union launched legal actions aimed at overturning the project’s approval.
