By Robert Frank
www.thesuburban.com
National Energy Board (NEB) spokeswoman Katherine Murphy told The Suburban that the Calgary-based federal energy regulator decided to reopen the application process for parties that want to participate in pending pipeline hearings this summer.
More than 1,800 prospective participants applied to present their position, prior to the initial March 3 application deadline.
They want to air their views on TransCanada’s proposal to build its $12 billion Energy East pipeline to carry more than a million barrels of crude a day from the northern United States and Western Canada to the coast of New Brunswick.
The planned pipeline route will run north of Montreal and Laval. However, TransCanada has filed plans to build a trunk line that will connect its Mascouche pumping station with Montreal’s Suncor refinery.
That trunk will cross Terrebonne and the eastern tip of Laval.
Although many cities, including Montreal and Terrebonne appeared on NEB’s participant list, following the March 3 application deadline, Laval was mysteriously absent.
Murphy said in a telephone interview that there had been “technical issues” that might have prevented some prospective participants from applying to do so.
She added that NEB would reopen its application process to participate in the Energy East hearings for one additional week, starting March 10.
The new application window was slated to close at midnight last night, March 17.
In an interview March 13, Laval executive committee vice-chairman David De Cotis reassured The Suburban in an interview that Laval has submitted its application to appear, after the city endorsed participating in the upcoming hearings during its Feb. 28 executive committee meeting.
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