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Pipeline no longer proposed to run through Khutzeymateen

The prospect of running an LNG pipeline through the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Conservancy have been scrapped.
56759princerupertRoutemap
This map shows the two marine routes proposed for the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. pipeline.

The prospect of running an LNG pipeline through the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Conservancy have been scrapped.

Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. Had proposed an overland route that would take its pipeline through the sensitive bear habitat en-route to the Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal on Lelu Island, but company vice-president John Dunn said that route is now off the table.

"People in Prince Rupert and Port Edward would have noticed a lot of activity over the summer as we had chartered boats to look at the seabed and create a seabed profile ... this fall we have sufficient information that a marine route to the site is possible, though any marine route would still be subject to the environmental assessment process," he said.

"We recognize that the conservancy is a very special area with important grizzly habitat and important economic activity. It was always our hope to avoid the conservancy, but it wasn't until recently we had enough data and scientific evidence to take it off the table."

The removal of the overland route is just one of many recent changes made to the route, which Dunn said will add a total of 100 kilometres to the pipeline. However, he said all of these changes were done with the public in mind.

"These changes were all made directly because of the work we have done with stakeholders, talking with First Nations and our engagement," he said, noting everything is on track for a final investment decision late next year.

"It's going well, and it is a very ambitious project to undertake."