Trans Mountain says it is restarting construction on its pipeline expansion project.
The company said work will resume at the Westridge Marine Terminal and Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby Terminal as well as in communities in Alberta. It has issued directives that give contractors 30 days to mobilize equipment, hire workers and develop work plans.
Trans Mountain expects to have close to 4,200 workers on the job in various communities by year’s end.
WATCH: Construction on Trans Mountain pipeline project could resume within the month
“With the first wave of regulatory approvals complete, we are confident that we have a path forward by which the expansion project construction can commence,” Trans Mountain Corporation president and CEO Ian Anderson said in a statement.
Anderson went on to say the company will continue to consult with local First Nations.
Speaking in Sherwood Park, Alta., Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi confirmed that “the next steps on the Trans Mountain project are now underway.”
“It is important to say that we were able to get to this day because, and only because, we did things in the right way and every step of the way, by taking the time we needed to meaningfully consult with Indigenous people and ensure that all the necessary steps were taken to protect the environment.”
WATCH: Trans Mountain to resume construction on pipeline expansion: Minister Sohi
Sohi went on to say the project will generate millions of dollars in new revenue that will help fund green energy technologies.
Construction had begun in Burnaby, Edmonton and along the pipeline route in between when the Federal Court of Appeal halted the work last year, ruling the federal government had not properly consulted with First Nations.
Following the ruling, the government restarted consultations with 117 Indigenous stakeholders, while the National Energy Board (NEB) also reopened hearings on the project.
In February, the NEB recommended Ottawa reapprove the controversial $7.5-billion project, which the Liberal government did earlier this summer after weeks of delays.
Earlier this month, the NEB gave the green light for construction to resume this year at two Burnaby terminals linked to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
— With files from Sean Boynton
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