Reasons for decision [in the matter of] Westcoast Energy Inc. application dated 19 January 1993, as amended, for Pine River Plant and Grizzly Pipeline system expansion

Westcoast Energy applied before Canada's National Energy Board for an order authorizing expansion of its Pine River natural gas processing/sulfur recovery plant near Chetwynd, British Columbia and expansion of the Grizzly Pipeline system that supplies raw gas to the plant. The proposed plant expansion would increase raw gas processing capacity from 260 million ft2/d to 560 million ft2/d and the sulfur plant capacity from 1,097 to 2,000 tonnes/d. The pipeline system expansion would add four segments totalling about 75 km and would connect the Murray River and Chamberlain fields to the pipeline in addition to increasing the pipeline capacity. A hearing was conducted to consider matters related to the application, including gas supplies, market requirements for the project, the nature of the proposed facilities, pipeline routing, land use, environmental impacts, socio-economic impacts, and financial aspects. The Board considered that the potentially adverse environmental effects of the project were insignificant or mitigable with known technology, and approved the proposed expansions subject to specified conditions. 5 figs., 5 tabs