National Energy Board Hearing on change to Trans Mountain pipeline route begins Monday

News Release
For Immediate Release

January 11, 2018 – Calgary, Alberta – National Energy Board

The National Energy Board (NEB) will hold an oral hearing beginning on Monday, January 15 at 1 p.m. (local time) to consider an application from Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC (Trans Mountain) to alter part of the proposed route for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in the City of Chilliwack. The hearing will be held at the Coast Chilliwack Hotel in Chilliwack, BC.

Trans Mountain applied to the NEB under section 21 of the National Energy Board Act for the Chilliwack BC Hydro Route Realignment. The approved corridor for the pipeline in Chilliwack follows a BC Hydro right of way between 500 kV overhead transmission lines. Trans Mountain has proposed re-routing 1.8 km of the new pipeline so that it would be within the existing Trans Mountain pipeline right of way.

The NEB Hearing Panel will hear from intervenors including the City of Chilliwack, WaterWealth, and the S'ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance. The schedule of participants, which is subject to change, is available in Procedural Update #4 [Filing A89118].

The NEB recognizes that Indigenous Peoples have an oral tradition for sharing stories, lessons, and knowledge from generation to generation. As this information cannot always be shared adequately in writing, the NEB intends to hear Oral Traditional Evidence from the S'ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance on January 15.

The hearing is scheduled to run until Friday, January 19. The hearing panel wishes to provide a safe and secure opportunity for all participants. Access to the hearing room will be limited to intervenors and their registered guests, Trans Mountain staff, NEB staff and accredited media. Those unable to attend the hearing in person can access both a live audio feed and a daily transcript [Folder 2392873].

Media accreditation is required for all journalists who wish to attend the hearing in-person. Media must be able to present government issued photo ID along with a business card and/or a letter requesting accreditation on official letterhead of a media organization, signed by the Publisher, Editor-in-chief, or Assignment Editor (along with their contact information). More information on media accreditation is available on the NEB website. Please note that no video or photography will be permitted after the Panel Chair’s opening statement.

Quick Facts

  • The NEB recommended that the Federal government approve the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in May, 2016, subject to 157 conditions.

  • When the Federal government approved the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in November 2016, it approved a pipeline corridor, which averages about 150 m in width. The company is now proposing a change to the approved corridor in Chilliwack.

  • The new Trans Mountain Expansion Project will follow the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline for 722 km, or 73 per cent of the total pipeline length. Approximately 170 km of the new pipeline runs beside other existing rights of way. In total, 98 km or 10 per cent of the new pipeline will be within a new pipeline corridor.

  • Once the NEB has issued a decision on Trans Mountain’s application for the Chilliwack Route Realignment, the NEB will then begin the detailed route process for this segment of the route.

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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