The Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) has issued its reconsideration report to the government regarding the next steps of the CAD7.4bn (US$5.5bn) Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project and estimates that its completion is in the Canadian public interest and should be approved. If the project is later cleared by the government, it will have to comply with 156 new conditions covering a wide array of issues such as environmental protection, pipeline safety and integrity, commercial support for the project and financial responsibility. In addition, the NEB has issued 16 recommendations to the Government of Canada related to project-related marine shipping.
The project was rejected by the Canadian Federal court of appeal in September 2018 on grounds that government had failed to consider the concerns of some First Nations. The 1,150-km long pipeline expansion project would twin the existing Trans Mountain line, which transports approximately 300,000 bbl/d of crude oil and refined petroleum products from the oil sands deposits in Alberta to Vancouver (British Columbia) and to the Washington State (United States). The proposed expansion project would raise transport capacity to 890,000 bbl/d and would significantly increase crude tanker traffic off the Canadian west coast.