B.C. grants environmental approval for North Montney pipeline

British Columbia’s environment minister Mary Polak and natural gas development minister Rich Coleman issued an environmental assessment certificate for the North Montney Mainline Pipeline project.

Proposed by the TransCanada’s Nova Gas Transmission, the North Montney Mainline pipeline project will provide substantial new capacity on the NGTL system to meet the transportation requirements associated with the increasing development of natural gas resources in the Montney supply basin in northeastern B.C.

It will connect Montney and other Western Canadian sedimentary basin supply to both existing and new natural gas markets, notably emerging markets for LNG in B.C. and its northern communities.

Located in the Peace River Regional District, the project will be approximately 301 kilometers of pipeline and include associated metering facilities, valve sites, and compression facilities.

The environmental assessment certificate added 21 conditions supplement the 45 conditions required by the National Energy Board. The additional conditions are a response to concerns that have been raised by Aboriginal groups during consultation undertaken for the project and address key areas of provincial jurisdiction and interest, such as, access, vegetation, caribou and Aboriginal traditional use.

The Environmental Assessment Office will co-ordinate compliance management efforts with the National Energy Board and other government agencies to ensure the office is satisfied that certificate conditions are met throughout the life of the project.