The Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) delivered its Reconsideration report to the Government of Canada, with an overall recommendation for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (Project). The report says that the project should be approved, but it also makes recommendations regarding marine shipping.
The NEB will impose 156 conditions on the Project if it is approved, and has made 16 new recommendations to the Government of Canada. The recommendations regard matters outside NEB’s regulatory mandate, but within the authority of the Government of Canada.
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The Reconsideration report concludes that Project-related marine shipping could cause important adverse environmental effects on the Southern resident killer whale and on indigenous cultural use associated with the Southern resident killer whale.
The NEB also concluded that GHG emissions from Project-related marine vessels would likely be significant. While a worst-case spill from the Project is not likely, if it happens the environmental effects would be significant. However, NEB said that:
While these effects weighed heavily in the NEB’s consideration of Project-related marine shipping, the NEB recommends that the Government of Canada find that they can be justified in the circumstances, in light of the considerable benefits of the Project and measures to minimize the effects
As for the benefits of the Project, they include:
- Increased access to diverse markets for Canadian oil;
- Jobs created across Canada;
- The development of capacity of local and Indigenous individuals, communities and businesses;
- Direct spending on pipeline materials in Canada;
- Considerable revenues to various levels of government.
If the Project is approved by Canada, the company must comply with 156 conditions, covering a range of matters including:
- Emergency preparedness and response, protection of the environment;
- Consultation with affected Indigenous communities;
- Socio-economic matters;
- Pipeline safety and integrity;
- Commercial support for the Project prior to construction;
- Financial responsibility on the part of the company.
In addition, the NEB has provided 16 recommendations to the Government of Canada related to Project-related marine shipping, including:
- Cumulative effects management for the Salish Sea;
- Measures to offset increased underwater noise and increased strike risk posted to SARA-listed marine mammal and fish species;
- Marine oil spill response;
- Marine shipping and small vessel safety;
- Reduction of GHG emissions from marine vessels;
- Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committee for the Project.
See more details in the PDF herebelow
