Canada’s National Energy Board has delayed the Line 9 pipeline reversal, a plan to ship Alberta oil to refineries in Montreal and Quebec City, after Enbridge failed to meet key safety provisions for the project, including shut-off valves on either side of major waterways.
“The board takes protection of people and the environment seriously and it expects the same of the companies it regulates,” Board Secretary Sheri Young told Enbridge last week. Enbridge had hoped to open the pipeline this fall, but won’t be able to apply for an operating permit until at least 90 days after it addresses the NEB’s concerns.
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Environmental Defence program manager Adam Scott called the decision a “major setback” for Enbridge. “They clearly just figured they could get this thing rubber-stamped, and push through without actually improving the safety of the pipeline,” he told the Globe. “So we’re happy to see the NEB has said no.”
