The Canadian government says British Columbia is trying to obstruct the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion with "Trojan Horse" legislation that the province is passing off as a benign environmental measure. "But in substance, it's an unconstitutional initiative that's only logical reason for being is to limit federally-regulated pipelines and railways from moving additional heavy oil." Environmental protectionsThe Appeal Court is hearing a reference case on the proposed amendments, which would enable B.C. "We still don't know why the volume of diluted bitumen that's in the existing Trans Mountain pipeline is somehow deserving of an automatic exemption from the regime, but the new volumes that would be carried by the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline are not," Brongers said. Support, opposition for Trans Mountain projectThe federal government has purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion and the expansion would triple the capacity of the existing line that runs from the Edmonton area to a marine terminal in Burnaby, B.C.

Source: CBC News March 20, 2019 22:24 UTC