Canada’s National Energy Board plans to hold public meetings this week on a pipeline to connect the mainland with Vancouver Island through the Georgia Strait.

The meetings will be held June 26 and 27 in Duncan and Sidney, BC on the Georgia Strait Crossing Pipeline. The board is also requesting comments in writing from the public on a draft scope of the environmental assessment that is required under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Written comments are to be filed with the secretary of the Board by July 7.

The scoping exercise is intended to provide a framework for the environmental assessment of the Georgia Strait Crossing Project. In March, Georgia Strait Crossing filed a preliminary submission to initiate the environmental assessment process.

The proposed project is a joint undertaking by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) and Williams Gas Pipeline. The pipeline would transport gas from Sumas, WA, across Washington state and then across the ocean floor of Georgia Strait to one of several potential landfall locations between Mill Bay and Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island.

The Canadian portion of the project would originate at a point on the international border in Boundary Pass, Strait of Georgia, and interconnect with the existing Centra Transmission system at a point south of Duncan, BC. The Canadian portion would be 31 miles in length, with 23 miles being offshore and eight miles onshore. The pipeline would transport 100 MMcf/d of gas, with an in-service date of November 2002.

For details on the public meetings and to view the draft scope of environmental assessment see, NEB’s web site, https://www.neb.gc.ca/regupd/releases/nr2000/nre0020.htm

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