Page 10 - NorthAmOil Week 17 2021

NorthAmOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT NorthAmOil

Trans Mountain expansion construction

stalled on bird habitat concerns

WESTERN ENVIRONMENT and Climate Change Canada The Trans Mountain system is owned by
CANADA has ordered a halt to construction on a section the federal government, which took over from
of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion Kinder Morgan in 2018 in a bid to save the
through a forest in Burnaby, British Columbia, expansion project when it looked like it was in
until August 20. The pause has been ordered danger of being cancelled amid ongoing legal
amid concerns over the impact of construction and regulatory challenges. Trans Mountain
on bird habitats, and will last until the end of the said it was proceeding with activities that were
nesting season. not restricted by the Environment and Climate
The government department said the order Change Canada order, and that there had been
had been issued following two on-site inspec- no change to the projected construction comple-
tions by an enforcement officer. The inspections tion date of December 2022.
had been prompted by complaints by a local con- The expansion project is designed to triple Trans Mountain
servation group that nests of the Anna’s hum- the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipe-
mingbird and other migratory birds were being line between Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby said it was
damaged by work on the pipeline. on the BC coast to about 890,000 barrels per day
“Given that it is nesting season, migratory (bpd). The expanded pipeline will carry diluted proceeding
birds are particularly vulnerable at this time,” bitumen, lighter crudes and refined fuel, and is
Environment and Climate Change Canada anticipated to open up a new route for oil sands with activities
said in an emailed statement reported by the crude to reach the coast and be shipped on to that were not
Canadian Press. “Cutting vegetation and trees Asia.
or carrying out other disruptive activities such The company has not commented on how restricted by the
as bulldozing or using chainsaws and heavy the order will affect the expansion project’s costs
machinery in the vicinity of active nests will – which have already escalated to CAD12.6bn Environment and
likely result in disturbance or destruction of ($10.3bn) in recent years.
those nests.” Trans Mountain also said it was in talks with Climate Change
The order covers a 1,000-metre area along Environment and Climate Change Canada to Canada order.
Highway 1, where Trans Mountain has been determine how it can mitigate the disturbance
asked to “refrain from disturbing, destroying to migratory birds during the nesting period.
or taking a nest or an egg of a migratory bird”. “Trans Mountain’s policies and procedures
The company was also ordered to immediately for the protection of migratory birds and their
stop any activity, including tree trimming and habitat were developed in consultation with
cutting, which may require the use of heavy stakeholders and communities and have been
machinery that could disturb and destroy nests extensively reviewed by federal and provincial
along a 900-metre area along the Brunette River. regulatory authorities,” it said.™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 29•April•2021