UPDATE: For additional information please see Trans Mountain Completes Portion of Preparatory Work for Geotechnical Investigation in Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area

Today, Trans Mountain Expansion Project representatives and crews arrived at a site on Burnaby Mountain to continue the fieldwork and studies needed to help assess the proposed pipeline corridor in Burnaby.

Crews were preparing to remove a rotten tree in order to safely carry out the work when City of Burnaby officials handed them two “Orders to Cease Bylaw Contraventions”. Trans Mountain responded that the National Energy Board (NEB) had confirmed the company’s rights to access lands and carry out engineering and field studies under Section 73 of the NEB Act. Burnaby RCMP were on site to witness the exchange of words and documents between City and Trans Mountain representatives.

Trans Mountain is consulting with legal counsel to determine its next steps.

Trans Mountain is committed to persevering with the planned, necessary and authorized work. We need to be able to tell residents of Burnaby where the pipeline route will go and in order to do so, further on-the-ground fieldwork is required.

The work will take place at various locations around Burnaby; the work on and around Burnaby Mountain will help determine the feasibility of routing a 2-km section of the proposed pipeline between the Burnaby Terminal and the Westridge Marine Terminal through Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. We are committed to ensuring the work is done with the least impact possible, and to fully restore any areas that we disturb.

Trans Mountain believes the proposed route through Burnaby Mountain is the best option based on preliminary indications and on the feedback gathered through engagement with local stakeholders. Routing through Burnaby Mountain would minimize traffic disruption during construction and avoid four private homeowner properties the pipeline would cross near the Westridge Marine Terminal and mean no homeowners in Burnaby would be directly impacted.

In July 2014, Trans Mountain filed a notice under National Energy Board (NEB) Act Section 73 to access City of Burnaby lands in order to conduct engineering and environmental studies for the proposed pipeline route in the Burnaby, including the Burnaby Mountain area. On August 19, the NEB confirmed Trans Mountain’s Section 73 rights.