Commission of CER recommends approval of Northeast B.C. Connector Project

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) recommended the approval of NorthRiver Midstream’s Northeast B.C. Connector Project on Monday. 

According to a release from the CER, the project comes with 49 conditions reflecting careful effects in the project area and impacts on Indigenous and Treaty rights.

The NEBC Connector Project involves the construction and operation of two parallel, 215-kilometre natural gas liquids pipelines stretching from B.C. to Alberta. 

The project’s hearing process was influenced by the court case Yahey v British Columbia, the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the CER’s commitment to reconciliation.

The hearing included collaborative workshops on the methodology behind a cumulative effects assessment and the offset plan.

Offsets are actions taken to balance the negative impacts of development projects on the environment. 

The commission also held Indigenous knowledge sessions in Fort St. John, which allowed parties to test and respond to different versions of the offset plan as it evolved. 

NorthRiver Midstream acknowledged significant adverse cumulative effects in the project area and committed to taking necessary measures to offset the project’s contribution to these effects.  

The commission concluded that the offset plan should include NorthRiver Midstream contributing to both the Blueberry River First Nation and the Treaty 8 Restoration Funds and establishing an Indigenous-led land securement fund. 

According to the release, potentially affected Indigenous People’s input played a crucial role in shaping the 49 conditions included in the project. 

The 49 conditions are related to construction, safety, environmental protection, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, offsets, employment and monitoring.

The CER Act requires the commission’s recommendation report to be submitted to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. The minister will take the report to the Governor in Council, who will decide whether or not to direct the commission to issue a certificate. 

If approved, the project will be monitored by the CER, who will enforce compliance with all conditions and other regulatory requirements during its execution.

NorthRiver Midstream will be held accountable for constructing, operating, and abandoning the project in a manner that ensures the safety and protection of the environment and Indigenous rights. 

NorthRiver Midstream filed the application for the NEBC Connector Project in November 2021, and the hearing record came to a close in July  2023.

There were 26 intervenors in the hearing, including 21 Indigenous communities, four government departments and one land owner. 
The full release from the Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator can be viewed here.