Earlier this morning, the National Energy Board
("NEB") delivered its Reconsideration
report to the federal government, ultimately recommending that the
Trans Mountain Expansion Project ("TMX"
or the "Project") should be approved in
the public interest of Canadians. The NEB found that the potential
effects from the Project can be justified in light of the
considerable benefits flowing from the Project and the measures to
minimize the effects. The NEB has recommended approval contingent
on 156 conditions, plus 16 new recommendations based on its review
of potential effects to the marine environment.
The NEB's decision now starts the clock on a 90-day deadline
for Cabinet to make a decision on whether the Project should
proceed. However, a final decision will not be made until
additional consultations with potentially impacted Indigenous
groups are complete, meaning that the 90-day timeline will likely
be extended.
