The public is invited to provide input on the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline at an open house on Wednesday in Walnut Grove.
The existing pipeline runs through North Langley, including the urban area of Walnut Grove. Plans call for the new pipeline route to veer away from the existing route somewhere in the Fort Langley/Walnut Grove area. One possibility has the new line running through Redwoods Golf Course to connect to a possible pipeline corridor along the CN rail line.
Landowners in the Fort Langley area have expressed concern about the new route going through farmland, and close to the Salmon River.
Kinder Morgan, owner of Trans Mountain, filed its application to twin the pipeline with the National Energy Board on Dec. 16, 2013. The application seeks approval to build and operate the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP). The TMEP proposes to twin the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline, increasing its capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day between Strathcona County, Alberta and Trans Mountain's oil terminal in Burnaby.
The company is continuing with engineering and environment studies, and engagement and communications with landowners, Aboriginal communities and stakeholders.
"We value the feedback, questions, concerns and comments from communities through which our pipeline study corridor runs. It has, and will be, used in our planning as we continue to optimize our study corridor and then ultimately our pipeline route," the company says in a press release.
The Langley open house is on Wednesday, April 2, and people can drop in between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. It takes place at the Holiday Inn, 8750 204 St. in Walnut Grove.
Another open house is set for Coquitlam on Thursday, April 3, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Executive Plaza, 405 North Road in Coquitlam.