Prince George, B.C.-  With the Federal Government releasing a joint review panel agreement on the Enbridge Northway Gateway project, the company says it now expects to finish its application and have it filed   by the end of the first quarter of 2010.

 

Steve Greenaway, Vice President, Public & Government Affairs Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines says the company has been working   hard to establish dialogue and build relationships with the 50 First Nations  communities along the proposed pipeline corridor from Bruderheim Alberta to Kitimat B.C.  “We have now protocol agreements or memorandums of understanding that really set the framework for those discussions with over 30 of the 50.   We have Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge studies going on with 35 of those 50 so while we haven’t achieved unanimity or 100% of those agreements, I think we have established a good majority and we hope to improve on that in the months ahead.”

 

The project, estimated to be worth $4.5 billion dollars would create hundreds of jobs during construction of the eleven hundred kilometre pipeline and lead to tax benefits to communities along the corridor.  In the long term, there would be a regional office in Prince George employing up to a dozen people. The project would see a west bound line carrying oil to a marine terminal in Kitimat, and an eastbound line carrying condensate to Alberta.

 

Not  everyone wants to see the  pipeline go  ahead.

 

Greenaway is aware of the resistance to the project, and understands people have environmental concerns “I think it is only fair that we have a very full discussion with communities about those issues. Much of that material and our plans will be made public when we file for regulatory approval.”