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Kinder Morgan pipeline could be delayed

Company cites time required to file for permits and regulatory approvals
Kinder Morgan pipeline
The City of New Westminster is concerned about a range of issues related to the proposed twinning of the Trans Mountain Pipeline - including potential impacts on the Brunette River and the fire department's ability to respond to a pipeline-related emergency.

The Trans Mountain expansion project could be delayed by several months, Kinder Morgan announced on Wednesday.

As part of its third quarter report, the Texas-based company said “construction preparation activity is off to a slower start than planned.”

Part of that is due “to the time required to file for, process and obtain all necessary permits and regulatory approvals.”

Kinder Morgan said it’s looking at construction mitigation plans so it can maintain the current in-service date of December 2019.

“All project planning and schedule mitigation efforts include cost management measures and spend control to maximize project returns, including a reduction in 2017 spending that has already been implemented,” reads the report.

Should mitigation efforts fail, the project could be delayed by up to nine months, according to the company.

Construction of the $7.4-billion pipeline project was scheduled to start last month. The project, however, has faced fierce opposition from the B.C. NDP, First Nations groups and environmental organizations. It’s also entangled in legal battles with municipalities like Burnaby and Vancouver.

The federal government approved the controversial expansion last November, following the National Energy Board’s recommendation in May 2016 that the project go ahead. The NEB attached 157 conditions to its approval.