Trans Mountain Expansion Project detailed route hearings announced for interior B.C.

News Release
For Immediate Release

January 26, 2018 – Calgary, Alberta – National Energy Board

The National Energy Board (NEB) announced this week that detailed route hearings for Segment 5 of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project are expected to begin in late April or early May 2018. Hearings will take place in Merritt and Kamloops, British Columbia (B.C.).

Previously, the NEB announced detailed route hearings for Segments 1, 2, 3 and 4 in B.C. and Alberta, as well as Segment 7 in the Burnaby, B.C. area. Hearings for the remaining Segment 6 (Kamloops, B.C. through to the Lower Mainland) will be announced at a later date.

Today, the NEB also approved portions of the detailed route in Segment 5 that were not opposed by landowners or affected persons. To date, nearly 56 per cent of the entire detailed route has been approved by the NEB. Prior to beginning construction in these areas, the company must satisfy all applicable NEB pre-construction conditions.

The 1,147 kilometre-long Trans Mountain Expansion Project – along an approximately 150 metre-wide pipeline corridor – was approved by the Government of Canada in November 2016. This project includes the reactivation of roughly 158 kilometres of existing pipeline. The detailed route approval process will determine the exact placement of the new pipeline within the approved corridor.

Quick Facts

  • The Federal Government approved the Trans Mountain expansion project last November, following a NEB recommendation in May 2016 that the project be approved subject to 157 conditions.  
  • The National Energy Board Act (NEB Act) sets out a process for the Board in determining the specific location for a new pipeline, and the methods of acquisition of land rights needed to be obtained by the pipeline companies from affected landowners.
  • The process starts with Trans Mountain providing notice to directly affected landowners and those who believe their lands could be adversely affected by the route of the pipeline. All statements of opposition that meet the requirements of the NEB Act are granted a detailed route hearing.
  • As cited in the NEB Act, statements of opposition that do not set out the grounds for opposition in regard to the detailed route, or the methods or timing of construction, or relate to issues outside of the Board’s jurisdiction, or that are found to be frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith, or that are filed late, will not be granted a hearing.
  • Participants in detailed route hearings may submit a claim directly to Trans Mountain for reasonable costs of their participation, and advance funding arrangements may be available.
  • The NEB also offers Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for landowners and companies. ADR processes related to the detailed route hearings are underway, and are expected to continue throughout the detailed route hearing process, with the intent to facilitate mutually agreeable solutions between the parties.

Quotes

“The detailed route hearing process is a very important part of the NEB’s regulatory oversight role. It focuses on the specific concerns of landowners or affected persons directly impacted by the proposed route. By listening to their concerns, the NEB can ensure that the pipeline is placed in the best possible location.”

– Peter Watson, Chair & CEO, National Energy Board

Associated Links

The National Energy Board is an independent federal regulator of several parts of Canada’s energy industry. It regulates pipelines, energy development and trade in the public interest with safety as its primary concern. For more information on the NEB and its mandate,please visit the National Energy Board website.

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Contacts

Sarah Kiley
Communications Officer
Canada Energy Regulator
Telephone (toll free): 1-800-899-1265
Facsimile: 403-299-3302
Facsimile (toll free): 1-877-288-8803

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