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BC to intervene on pipeline

The provincial government has applied for intervener status in court challenges against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

The NDP government announced earlier this month that it would be joining the legal fight against Ottawa's approval of the $7.4-billion project and hired former judge Thomas Berger to provide legal advice.

Several First Nations and municipalities have filed legal challenges against the project, which would triple the capacity of the Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline and increase the number of tankers in Vancouver-area waters.

Attorney General David Eby says the majority of the pipeline is in B.C. and the government should be able to represent the interests of people in the province, notably because the Alberta government has already been granted intervener status.

The former Liberal government issued an environmental certificate for the project earlier this year, but Premier John Horgan campaigned in the spring provincial election his party would do everything possible stop it.

Trans Mountain, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Canada, has said construction is set to begin in September, but the government says only three of eight environment management plans have been accepted, preventing work from starting.



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