The Alberta Energy Regulator has approved the CAN$ 3 billion Grand Rapids oil pipeline with 26 conditions.
The pipeline is designed to ship up to 900 000 bpd of diluted bitumen from near Fort McMurray, Alta., to the Edmonton area.
Several of the conditions deal with the pipeline's route and others deal with enhanced environmental monitoring and mitigation to better protect wildlife and wetlands.
The approval follows two weeks of hearings this summer.
The hearings were boycotted by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which is an aboriginal group that lives in Alberta's oilsands region.
The Grand Rapids pipeline is a 50-50 partnership between Calgary-based TransCanada and a unit of PetroChina.
Approved with conditions
The Alberta Energy Regulator ruled the 500-kilometre twin pipeline is needed, but ordered several route adjustments in the Fort Saskatchewan area in response to landowners’ concerns.
The AER also turned down one proposed crossing of the North Saskatchewan River, as well as TransCanada’s proposed Saleski tank farm in the northeast.
The regulator ruled in favour of the Guennett family, who opposed the pipeline crossing their land within Fort Saskatchewan.
The AER also ordered TransCanada to find an alternative route around oilsands giant MEG’s industrial site near Fort Saskatchewan.
Edited from various sources by Elizabeth Corner
Sources: CBC, Edmonton Journal