Changes to processing of proposed pipelines draw reactions

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Trudeau government is ringing more alarm bells in the western Canadian oil and gas sector by introducing interim process changes for proposed pipeline projects currently under review, ahead of more robust revisions to the National Energy Board.

As a result, First Nations will get more intervener-funding and an enhanced role in the review of the proposed Energy East Pipeline and the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

Winnipeg musician James Gordon Carr — also known as Natural Resources Minister, Jim Carr — also says reviews already underway, or to occur in the future, must also now include upstream greenhouse gas emissions.

Meantime, these changes will also affect the Pacific Northwest and Woodfibre LNG proposals. Ottawa human rights lawyer, Catherine McKenna — Canada’s new Environment and Climate Change Minister — is pushing the narrative that the Liberals are headed in a different review process direction than the previous Conservative government.

There is political opposition, and industry concern, this new review process could also further delay the $36-billion Pacific Northwest project — but the feds say that’s not the case, and a decision is still expected this spring.

That’s left the policy critics relieved, but still nervous.

Prince George – Peace River – Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer reactsto the Trudeau government initiative to apply new environmental-impact reviews to all proposed energy projects, including the $36-billion Pacific Northwest LNG facility.

However, while the initiative places new hurdles in the approval path of a number of projects, the government is claiming it will not delay its decision on the massive Petronas led project near Prince Rupert.

It says we can still expect that this spring, but while that could be interpreted as pending approval — it could also mean the government has decided to reject the proposal without waiting for the findings of a greenhouse gas emissions review.

That noted, Mr. Zimmer says he’s still hopeful it’s not that dramatic, and at the same time, he rejects assertions by the Liberals they’re veering dramatically away from the former Conservative government project approval process.

That also seems to be the most prevalent view of the industry, which still sees LNG development as its economic downturn safety net.

Mr. Salkeld spoke to us this week, following the P-SAC release of another forecast drop of about five per cent in the number of wells to be drilled this year in Western Canada.