Trans Mountain Expansion Project

Update: December 2017

The Government of Canada approved the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP), subject to 157 conditions attached to the Project Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which was issued by the National Energy Board (NEB) in late 2016. Earlier this year, the BC Government issued an environmental certificate for the Project, subject to 37 conditions.

Trans Mountain has selected two contractors to construct the TMEP portion within the Township of Langley. SA Energy Group to construct the eastern portion from the municipal boundary to 232 Street; and Kiewit-Ledcor Trans Mountain Partnership to construct the remaining sections from 232 Street to the western municipal boundary. Trans Mountain and their contractors have been performing survey and data collection activities in the Township such as bore holes, test pits, and environmental surveys.

While Trans Mountain has received authorizations from the NEB to move forward with TMEP, there are a number of conditions that must be addressed before pipeline construction can begin. Most of the conditions attached to the authorizations require Trans Mountain to file documentation with the NEB to demonstrate compliance. In some cases, the NEB will need to review and approve the documentation before Trans Mountain can move forward.

Trans Mountain has updated the completion date for the project from December 2019 to September 2020.

Detailed Routing

Within the Township, TMEP involves construction of approximately 19.7 km of new pipeline, with approximately 12.1 km following the existing pipeline corridor, and the remaining 7.6 km deviating from the existing corridor. 

Trans Mountain had previously anticipated pipeline construction in the Township to begin in 2018, with some preliminary works occurring in the fall of 2017, which was contingent on no opposition to the detailed route. Some landowners in the Township affected by the TMEP filed statements of opposition with the NEB earlier this year. The Township also filed two statements of opposition on May 9, 2017 in relation to Township owned lands and August 4, 2017 in relation to Township road allowances.

The NEB cannot approve construction in the Township until they have reviewed all statements of opposition and conduct detailed route hearings if the statements meet the requirements of the National Energy Board Act. A valid statement of opposition must contain the landowner or affected person’s interest in the lands that will be crossed or adversely affected by the proposed route and reasons for opposing the proposed detailed route which must focus only on actual pipeline route location, methods of construction, and/or timing of construction of the pipeline.

The NEB has begun reviewing statements of opposition and scheduling detailed hearings in Alberta and British Columbia. Detailed route hearings have been scheduled for segments 1 and 2 (Edmonton to Hinton, Alberta) between November-December 2017 and for segment 7 (Surrey to Burnaby, British Columbia) in January 2018. The NEB has stated it will process the remaining statements of opposition for segments 3 through 6 in due course to determine if detailed route hearings are warranted.

Update: 2016

In January 2016, the Township submitted final written arguments  to the NEB, as well as participated during the oral hearing sessions  in Burnaby.

The Township remains concerned about various aspects about the project, including:

• The potential environmental and socio-economic effects;
• The costs to taxpayers related to the installation and long term operation of the pipeline;
• The accountability of Kinder Morgan to respond adequately in case of an incident.

Our goal is to ensure the pipeline project will be subject to its municipal bylaws and policies.

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