REGINA – Saskatchewan’s premier says the latest interprovincial discussion on the Energy East pipeline proposal is “very good news” for the $12-billion project.
Ontario’s concerns about the environmental impact of the pipeline narrowed considerably Wednesday following a meeting between Premiers Kathleen Wynne and Jim Prentice of Alberta.
Ontario and Quebec had set out seven principles for the project, which would carry western crude to refineries in eastern Canada.
Premier Brad Wall says his biggest source of concern had been the possibility of applying a greenhouse gas measure to oil in the pipeline.
But after meeting Prentice in her office, Wynne said her concerns were limited to greenhouse gas emissions from the pipeline project itself, not from the so-called upstream emissions resulting from getting the crude out of the ground, refining and burning it.
Wall adds that he credits the Ontario and Quebec premiers for clarifying the terms.
The Saskatchewan legislature passed a motion last week calling on the two provinces to recognize the National Energy Board as the appropriate body to review the pipeline proposal.
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