NEB approves Trans Mountain Burnaby terminal expansion

Construction on the expansion of the Trans Mountain Westridge Marine Terminal, located in Burnaby, will begin in September. Gerry Kharmann photo.

Trans Mountain terminal to load three tankers, up from one

On Thursday, the National Energy Board of Canada said Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline project has met conditions required for the company to expand its Westridge Marine Terminal located in Burnaby, BC.

The expansion will allow the terminal’s dock to load up to three tankers.  The facility can currently handle only one tanker.  It will also increase the number of delivery lines connected to its other Burnaby terminal.

In a letter to Kinder Morgan from the NEB, the board says the company has satisfied all 157 conditions imposed on the expansion project and the pre-construction conditions that specifically pertain to the terminal.

“Meeting all NEB pre-construction conditions for Westridge Marine Terminal is a significant milestone. Trans Mountain has been working to meet the NEB conditions, the BC Government conditions, permits and all regulatory requirements to start construction,” Ali Hounsell, Spokesperson, Trans Mountain Expansion Project, said in an email to North American Energy News.

Hounsell added that the Westridge Marine Terminal is an important part of Kinder Morgan’s construction program and the company is working to secure all the necessary pieces to start construction activities in Sept.

“Trans Mountain and its contractors are committed to meeting our goals and timelines, and our team continues to complete the important work necessary to move the project forward in order to begin construction this year,” she said. 

According to the CBC, Trans Mountain refiled its environmental protection plans for the terminal on Aug. 17.  The board says the revised document now includes details for mitigating previously raised issues concerning the project and evidence that Kinder Morgan held additional public consultations.

The Trans Mountain website says terminal construction is scheduled to begin in Sept.

Earlier this week, the BC government was granted intervener status in a legal challenge against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion by a number of First Nations who object to the Trudeau government’s approval of the pipeline.