July 2019, Vol. 246, No. 7
Projects
BC Not Authorized to Regulate Trans Mountain Oil Flows, Court Rules
Five judges ruled unanimously the provincial government of British Columbia cannot regulate increased flows of heavy crude through the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline, removing a potential hurdle to the long-delayed project.
The Trans Mountain expansion project, which the Canadian government bought last year for $3.35 billion (C$4.5 billion) to help it get built, would nearly triple shipments of oil sands crude from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific Coast.
The province last year filed a reference question to the provincial Court of Appeal, asking if it could change the Environmental Management Act to regulate any increase in flows of diluted bitumen from the oil sands. The judges, however, found Trans Mountain falls under federal jurisdiction.
British Columbia’s Attorney General David Eby said his government will appeal the decision. P&GJ
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