Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr has announced the appointment of three new temporary National Energy Board members to review TransCanada's Energy East pipeline.
In September, the National Energy Board announced its three Energy East panellists had recused themselves following complaints that two of them met with former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, a consultant for developer TransCanada at the time, to discuss the pipeline. They are still NEB board members, and have since been reassigned to review other projects.
Those resignations derailed the process, which had also been rocked by protests from anti-pipeline activists in Montreal.
The chair or acting chair of the NEB is ultimately responsible for assigning new board members to specific duties, but the current chair, Peter Watson, had to step away from making any decisions related to Energy East after he, too, met with Charest.
One proponent of the project said the pipeline will reduce GHG emissions, because refineries in Canada's east will shake its reliance on foreign oil imports. It will also create 14,000 direct and indirect jobs annually across Canada during development and construction
Under the previous Conservative government, the board was given the power to do environmental assessments and public consultations under specific, limited timelines.
Carr granted an extension to the NEB's review process in April, giving the board 21 months to study the $15.7-billion project and report back to cabinet with its assessment as to whether construction should proceed.
