On Nov. 29, the federal government announced it has directed the National Energy Board to dismiss the Northern Gateway Pipelines Project application.
The federal government approved Kinder Morgan’s Transmountain Project the same day it rejected Enbridge’s Northern Gateway proposal.
British Columbia Environment Minister Mary Polak issued a release following the federal decisions on the three pipeline projects under review.
“In anticipation of a federal decision, our government has been consistent in fighting for British Columbia with the five conditions for any new or expanded heavy-oil pipeline. That remains the case today, and we will work to ensure each of our conditions are met.”
Polak said the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) anticipates it will soon complete B.C.’s environmental assessment, which has been underway for seven months.
However, no one is saying if this means Northern Gateway project’s could move forward if the project gets the province’s green light if it meets the B.C. Liberal’s five conditions.
The Ministry of Environment (MoE) e-mailed its response to a 100 Mile House Free Press when asked if Polak believes there is any chance of Northern Gateway Project going forward down the road.
The e-mail noted that as a result of a B.C. Supreme Court decision earlier this year, a decision under the provincial Environmental Assessment Act is also required for the Northern Gateway project.
“When contacted by EAO, Northern Gateway Pipelines Ltd. indicated it was not yet ready to proceed with the provincial process required by the court decision,” the e-mail stated.
“Given a federal approval is necessary for the project to proceed, it is unlikely that the further provincial process required by the court will be undertaken.”
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett replied that as regional representative in legislature, she cannot speak for the “lead in government” – that is for the MoE and Polak to handle.
However, in her own outlook as MLA, Barnett doesn’t sound hopeful for any future for the Northern Gateway project now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has spoken.
“The federal government is the one that has to make the decision, and so we have to live with what [that] decision is … and I would think if the federal government has said ‘no’, in my opinion it is no.”
Regarding her own feelings about what was left undone, she says “a lot more work” was left undone toward this project ever meeting the federal government’s approval down the road – and even then, it still needs to meet all five conditions laid down by Premier Christy Clark for provincial approval.
“It’s a very sensitive issue and it’s a very difficult issue because of the environmental [factors] and the First Nations concerns – and they weren’t satisfied, so I’m [thinking] that’s why it was a no.”
Barnett added she doesn’t know how many in her constituency might be affected by the decision.
Meanwhile, BC Chamber of Commerce president/CEO Val Litwin is publicly expressing the organization’s disappointment in the federal government’s veto on the Northern Gateway pipeline project.
“It’s disheartening to see this outcome, given the tremendous effort by Enbridge to ensure it followed all the right steps to get the project to ‘yes’.”
Litwin blames the project’s collapse to a “glaring lack of clarity” on how to adequately consult with First Nations, and maintains that Enbridge is “not at all to blame” for the project’s failure to get federal approval.
