Spectra Energy Corp announced that its submission of an Environmental Assessment Certificate Application for the Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission Project has been formally accepted for review by the BC Environmental Assessment Office (BC EAO).
This milestone begins an extensive 180-day review process, which includes a 45-day public comment period beginning May 14, 2014 and ending June 27, 2014.
“Our Application summarizes the work that the Westcoast Connector project team has undertaken over three years and hundreds of thousands of hours to study the environmental, economic, social, heritage and health interactions that are of critical concern to Spectra Energy, just as they are to the Aboriginal and local communities along our proposed route,” said Doug Bloom, president of Spectra Energy’s Canadian LNG business. “It draws on the benefit of our nearly six-decade legacy of working, living and learning from British Columbians going back to the inception of BC’s natural gas industry.”
While preparing to chart a new path for BC’s vast natural gas resources to reach the northwest coast for transport to new markets, Spectra Energy once again brought its long-term view to project design. The Application includes analysis, and reflects consultation, for a natural gas transportation corridor that would allow for up to two pipelines within a single right of way. This approach could help limit the potential environmental and local impacts during construction and operation, and plan for consolidation of future industry growth in a smart, thoughtful way.
“As a company that has worked in British Columbia for more than a generation, we know that pursuing this generational opportunity for a new LNG industry needs to be done thoughtfully, as part of a robust regulatory process, and as part of long-term relationship building effort with the communities that will be our neighbours for the next century,” continued Bloom. “We look forward to continuing our Aboriginal and public engagement programs throughout the Application review process and beyond as we work to develop the best possible project.”
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Press Release, May 08, 2014