Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman issued the following statement following their issuing of an Environmental Assessment (EA) Certificate for the B.C. portion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project:

“Today we issued an EA Certificate for the project, understanding that all inter-provincial pipelines are under federal jurisdiction. We have looked at areas where we can improve the project by adding conditions that will build upon those already established by the federal government.

“The Environmental Assessment Office recommended 37 new conditions be attached, to address concerns raised by communities and Aboriginal groups during its consultation. We have agreed to all 37 conditions, ensuring the project meets the high standards we demand in British Columbia.

“The conditions we have attached will make sure ongoing consultation with First Nations occurs and also provides further protection of wetlands, wildlife habitat and caribou and grizzly populations. They are all legally enforceable, and will help to minimize or avoid altogether potential issues within areas of provincial interest.

“Clearly, the project will have economic benefits for British Columbia workers, families and communities. However, we have always been clear economic development will not come at the expense of the environment. We believe environmental protection and economic development can occur together, and the conditions attached to the EA certificate reflect that.”

Learn more:

To learn more about the Environmental Assessment Certificate for the B.C. portion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017ENV0001-000047