Sask. to argue in court in favour of Trans Mountain pipeline

The Government of Saskatchewan will be backing the federal government in court with regards to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

In a media release Monday, the provincial government said it had been “granted leave to intervene in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion hearing before the Federal Court of Appeal in support of the pipeline’s construction.”

The hearing is set for December.

The federal government has claimed that the project received the proper approval, but the court is to hear arguments about whether the government consulted sufficiently with First Nations.

“Saskatchewan will make submissions to the Federal Court of Appeal on the need to fairly balance the duty to consult with other matters of public interest, such as transportation infrastructure,” Don Morgan, Saskatchewan’s justice minister and attorney general, said in the release.

“Projects like Trans Mountain create a stronger economy that allow the federal and provincial governments to invest in programs and initiatives like health and education.”

Saskatchewan wants the pipeline built to get the province’s products to port.

The government said in the release that “the lack of access to tidewater cost Saskatchewan producers approximately $3.7 billion in lost revenue and cost the Government of Saskatchewan $250 million in lost taxes, royalties and other revenue” in 2018.

“The proposed $9.3 billion Trans Mountain Expansion Project would increase capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day, providing significant benefit to landlocked Canadian producers,” the statement added.

The province noted that, without the pipeline, the demand for rail transportation would continue to rise. That in turn would make things more difficult for oil producers, as well as companies in such areas as agriculture and mining.