Since 2012, the environmental team for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project has been out in the field studying a wide range of environmental features, including wildlife, species at risk, fish and plants.

We have worked closely with regulatory agencies and third-party subject matter experts to develop plans to minimize our impact on wildlife and the environment.

In 2017, as part of preparation for site construction work at Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, BC, an eagle’s nest was identified near the southeast boundary of the terminal proximate to future construction activities. Trans Mountain cooperatively engaged with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and local raptor specialists to develop a detailed Eagle Nest Mitigation Plan.

The plan was designed to mitigate construction impacts to potential nesting eagles. Based on this plan, BC Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations issued a permit to Trans Mountain for installation of the nest deterrent.

A nesting deterrent (metal cone) was placed in the previously used nesting tree outside the migratory bird nesting window. The eagles were away on annual migration and the nest site was not in use when the deterrent was installed in the tree. Trans Mountain has no intention of removing the tree and the cone will be removed after construction.

To prevent any loss of nesting habitat, Trans Mountain worked with the eagle experts to provide a replacement nest site to offset the temporary loss of use of the tree.

After an evaluation of several options by eagle experts, a replacement nest site was installed in a more favourable location in a City of Burnaby conservation area, away from the work area but within the eagles’ established territory. City of Burnaby approved the location of the nest installation in 2017. Eagle experts confirmed the eagles used the new nest location and successfully had offspring in 2018.

Learn more about our Environmental Management Plans required to meet the conditions set out by the National Energy Board (NEB) and the BC Environmental Assessment Office (BC EAO), here.