Trans Mountain Burnaby route hearings to begin in January

Hearings for this section of the pipeline will take place in Burnaby beginning in January, and follows a previous announcement for detailed route hearings in segments one and two (of seven) located in Alberta that will begin this fall. Hearings in relation to the remaining four segments will be announced at a later date.

From April to July, the NEB received 452 statements of opposition to the proposed detailed route; 135 of these relate to Segment 7. In total, there will be 28 detailed route hearings for Segment 7.

The 1147 km pipeline project was approved by the Government of Canada in November 2016 along an approximate 150 m wide pipeline corridor. The detailed route approval process will determine the exact placement of the new pipeline within the approved corridor. It is a key regulatory step required by the NEB before construction can begin on the new pipeline.

The NEB also placed 157 conditions on the project. While many conditions address the full lifespan of the pipeline, the company is required to complete 98 pre-construction conditions before any construction begins. Canadians can monitor Trans Mountain’s condition compliance through the NEB’s interactive condition compliance tracker.

Landowners or affected persons and participants who make representations to the NEB in one of the detailed route hearings may submit a claim directly to Trans Mountain for reasonable costs of participating in the detailed route hearing. Additionally, advanced funding for participation in the detailed route hearing may be available.

Peter Watson, Chair & CEO, National Energy Board, stated: “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.”