Prince George, B.C.- While subject to 209 recommendations , the Enbridge Pipeline has received approval from the Joint Review Panel on the Northern Gateway Pipeline project.

The now $ 7.9 billion dollar project ,  up from earlier estimates of $6.5 billion, has been approved by the panel subject to the conditions, which the federal cabinet under new laws does not have to adhere to.

Tim Leadem, the Lawyer who represented a group of Environmental organizations that made  submissions to the JRP,  says basically Enbridge was handed an early Christmas present today. " I am very disappointed , the decision by the panel basically says the benefit to Canadians outweighs the risk to the Environment."

Leadem says Enbridge now has the green light to proceed , "it leads me to wonder about the panel, and what we as Canadians place as important in the Environment."

His group will be studying the panel's recommendations and will be seeing what recourse is available in the courts.

Since 1959 only one project has been turned back by the federal government's review panels.