National Energy Board OKs Trans Mountain expansion of Burnaby terminal

The National Energy Board says the Trans Mountain pipeline project has met conditions required for the expansion of its Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C.

Trans Mountain, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Canada, has plans to expand the terminal's dock to load three tankers, up from one, and increase the number of delivery lines connected to its other Burnaby terminal.

The board says in a letter to Kinder Morgan published on its website Wednesday that there are 157 conditions imposed on the project overall and the pre-construction conditions specifically pertaining to the terminal have now been satisfied.

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Trans Mountain refiled its environmental protection plans for the terminal on Aug. 17, which the board said included details for mitigating previously raised issues about the project and evidence that it held additional public consultations.

Trans Mountain couldn't immediately be reached for comment, but the company's website says terminal construction was set to begin in September.

B.C. resists pipeline

British Columbia's NDP government recently announced it would join the legal fight against the pipeline expansion and was granted intervener status this week in a legal challenge brought by several First Nations and municipalities objecting to Ottawa's approval of the project.

The new provincial government also warned the company earlier this month that it can't begin work on public land until it gets final approval from the province.

Premier John Horgan promised in the provincial election this spring to use "every tool in the toolbox" to stop the expansion by Trans Mountain.

B.C.'s former Liberal government issued an environmental certificate for the project earlier this year.

B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman has said the storage facility and marine terminal in Burnaby are on private property, but the majority of the pipeline either passes through First Nations territory or public land.