Through 2013, we undertook extensive field work and research as part of a detailed environmental assessment, a step towards an Environmental Assessment Certificate that’s required from the BC Environmental Assessment Office to construct the pipeline.
The environmental assessment was designed to identify:
- Potential negative effects to the air, water, land, wildlife, vegetation and fish to reduce or offset impact.
- Potential negative effects on people related to the use of the land, health and livelihood to ensure the Coastal GasLink pipeline project has a net positive effect on communities.
Our first step in the environmental assessment process was the development of our Project Description submitted to the BC EAO and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on October 30, 2012. It was accepted and is now a public document.
The Project Description describes the proposed pipeline and its general route. It describes how the project team plans to proceed with design, construction and operations, and itemizes all components of the project including the pipeline, proposed metering stations and proposed compressor stations. Download the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project Description.
We engaged with Aboriginal communities to understand their traditional ecological knowledge and land use information. We incorporated the information we gathered into our environmental assessment documents, which also include an environmental protection plan and a socioeconomic management plan.
On January 29, 2014, Coastal GasLink submitted an application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate to the BC Environmental Assessment Office. This was supported by more than 7,000 pages of documentation.
On March 11, 2014, the BC Environmental Assessment Office commenced a 180-day review of the Application and related documentation. Further details are available on the Regulatory Process page on this site.
On October 24, 2014, the Environmental Assessment Office issued an Environmental Assessment Certificate for the project.
