EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story said the government of New Brunswick was not keen on the benefits of the pipeline project, which was incorrect.
The National Energy Board (NEB) public hearings about the Energy East pipeline project are now onto their second leg, kicking off in Fredericton Monday morning.
The hearings were in Saint John for three days last week, where concerned parties, or intervenors, including environmental groups, citizens and Mi’kmaq communities expressed their concerns over the project.
READ MORE: Energy East pipeline is safe, good for country, TransCanada tells NEB hearings
The province of New Brunswick was the first of the intervenors to bring up concerns Monday. The province says it’s keen on the benefits of the project, but wants to make sure the proper safety measures are in place first.
“Witnessing the success achieved in other provinces as they continue to develop their energy resources, we recognize here that New Brunswickers can certainly benefit from this project proposal,” said assistant deputy energy minister Bill Breckenridge.
“Not only during the construction phase as was outlined in the presentation but also long term as this pipeline will help us with our energy security for the future.”
The hearings will be taking place in Fredericton for the next day and a half, before the NEB moves on to hold hearings in eight other cities along the proposed pipeline route.
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The pipeline would carry Alberta crude oil across the country, its end location being Saint John. The port city would receive about 1.1 million barrels of Alberta crude per day to be refined.
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