Environment Minister Mary Polak has issued the following statement, following the issuance of a hearing order by the National Energy Board for Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion project.

“We are committed to ensuring that the Trans Mountain Expansion project, if it does go ahead, satisfies the highest standards of environmental protection and protects British Columbia from financial and environmental risk.

“The project is undergoing a National Energy Board review. The Province has intervenor status at the hearings and we will actively represent the interests of the people of B.C.

“We will not pre-judge the project. We have been reviewing the information that was submitted by Kinder Morgan in its application and we will follow up through the National Energy Board process. We will be submitting a number of information requests to Kinder Morgan to fill some of the information requirements we have. We have been meeting regularly with Kinder Morgan to ensure that we understand all aspects of their proposal and to identify for the company issues of importance to British Columbians.

“Any heavy oil pipeline project must satisfy our five conditions before B.C. will consider supporting it. While meeting the five conditions still requires work from everyone involved, over the last year and a half we have seen increasing recognition and acceptance of them. The five minimum requirements are:

• Successful completion of the environmental review process;
• World-leading marine oil spill response, prevention and recovery systems for B.C.'s coastline and ocean to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines and shipments;
• World-leading practices for land oil spill prevention, response and recovery systems to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines;
• Legal requirements regarding Aboriginal and treaty rights are addressed, and First Nations are provided with the opportunities, information and resources necessary to participate in and benefit from a heavy oil project; and
• British Columbia receives a fair share of the fiscal and economic benefits of a proposed heavy oil project that reflects the level, degree and nature of the risk borne by the government, the environment and taxpayers.”

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834