On June 10, 2014 Trans Mountain filed a response to a request from the National Energy Board (NEB) to clarify information about its proposed route through Burnaby Mountain and to outline next steps if the City of Burnaby continues to restrict the company’s access to lands.

In the response, available on the NEB’s website, Trans Mountain documented more than 150 instances of meetings and correspondence with City of Burnaby staff and the Mayor’s office since announcing the project in May 2012. Included in the correspondence are references to Trans Mountain’s interest in exploring the route through Burnaby Mountain, from as early as July 2013.

Going through Burnaby Mountain would avoid four private homeowner properties that the pipeline would cross near the Westridge Marine Terminal if the alternate route is ultimately chosen. Using the Burnaby Mountain route would mean no homeowners in Burnaby would be directly impacted.

“We would like to be able to tell the residents of Burnaby where the pipeline will go, but we need to do the necessary survey work to find out if the Burnaby Mountain route is feasible,” said Scott Stoness, VP of Regulatory and Finance with Kinder Morgan Canada. “Our preference is to work cooperatively and collaboratively with the City, but if they remain unwilling to do so in a timely manner, we will have to explore our other options.”

The response to the NEB outlines what the next steps would be if the City of Burnaby continues to refuse Trans Mountain access to the lands. The response states:

If the City of Burnaby continues to be unwilling to provide Trans Mountain with access to property owned by the City of Burnaby for the purposes of conducting these required and necessary surveys, Trans Mountain intends to make application to the Board pursuant to Section 73 of the National Energy Board Act for an order granting Trans Mountain temporary access to these lands. An order issued by the Board pursuant to Section 73 provides the legal authority for a pipeline company to enter onto lands to survey the proposed location of a pipeline or to conduct field studies, examinations and other work necessary to determine the location for a pipeline.

Trans Mountain will be reaching out to the City of Burnaby in the coming weeks to once again ask for the necessary survey and permit permissions.