Canada Advances National Interest Designation for West Coast Pipeline

The Canadian government has taken a step towards designating the proposed West Coast pipeline as a 'national interest' project, allowing for faster approvals and reduced environmental scrutiny.

The notice was published in the Canada Gazette on August 1, setting a September 18 deadline for comments. The pipeline, owned by Trans Mountain, the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, and Pembina Pipeline Corporation, would carry one million barrels of crude oil from Bruderheim, Alberta to a port near Delta, British Columbia.

The project has been referred to the government's major projects office, with the Alberta government listed as the proponent. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc will work with the Alberta and B.C. governments on the project while consultations with Indigenous communities are underway.

Environmental Defence associate director Julia Levin criticized the government for quietly beginning this process over a long weekend, calling it 'environmentally and economically risky'.