Recent MP Correspondence - Briefing Binder for CER Appearance at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources
MP Peter Julian
Note: MP Peter Julian is not a member of the RNNR, but could decide to sit in.
On April 24, 2024, Peter Julian, MP, filed a notice of motion (C29310) that referenced the horizontal directional drill (HDD) crossing of the Fraser River for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Specifically, he requested the following (reproduced verbatim):
- An order to request the TMEP project for an immediate stop of construction activities and spending public funds until [Canada Energy Regulator (CER)] certifies that the Fraser River HDD crossing is safe, and pipeline structural risks are acceptable, considering the undisclosed, deviated, and higher bending angle of the pipeline in this crossing.
- That previous feasibility studies for the Fraser River HDD crossing are updated with the new routing, and that those studies are certified by CER engineer licensed by [Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia].
On April 26, 2024, the Commission responded (C29396), stating the Commission was not able to accept this as a motion in its current form.
On May 5, 2024, Peter Julian, MP, re-filed his previous submission (C29527).
On June 3, 2024, the Commission responded (C29871), stating that the requests are not properly before the Commission, as there is no active proceeding to which the letter and requests relate. The requests were made in relation to a route deviation at the Fraser River that the Commission previously assessed and for which it issued a decision on January 28, 2022. Further, one of the requests was for an immediate stop to construction, when the TMEP is currently operating. Because of these above-noted procedural flaws, the Commission stated that it still could not consider the requests or make a ruling on them.
The June 3, 2024 letter also provided some relevant information on the leave to open process and the Commission’s resulting assessments and detailed decisions, in order to understand the measures taken to ensure that the pipeline could be safely opened.
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