TransCanada is taking its proposed West Path Delivery Project to the public, seeking feedback to inform an application for the pipeline project.
The pipeline operator will submit its application following public engagement – including an open house held two weeks ago – sometime in early 2018.
While still preliminary, the estimation is that the major pipeline project could bring considerable employment opportunities to town as construction will require operators, mechanics, drivers, labourers and more.
“This is one event of many … there’s a social licence to operate,” said project manager David Eremita of the open house seeking input from the public and stakeholders on the impacts of both options placed before them: Route A or Route B.
According to Eremita, the total project cost is tagged for $100 million and would be considered a medium-sized pipeline project for TransCanada – whose project list includes Keystone XL and Energy East.
Route A would parallel the existing pipeline corridor for six km through Cochrane and continue south of town to the roundabout on highways 22 and 8.
Route B would be routed west of town before paralleling the existing pipeline corridor south of town.
Other project components include compressor station additions in Turner Valley and Burton Creek.
Landowner, environmental, First Nations and economic impacts are all included as considerations for the project. While increased traffic during construction would be inevitable, it is believed that impact on day-to-day traffic flows would be minimal.
Should the pipeline project be approved, the timeline would be for 2019 construction, with operations expected by 2020; the approvals process is estimated to take between 6 and 12 months. The project would be constructed, owned and operated by NOVA Gas Transmissions (NGTL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada.
In 2016 NGTL contributed $1.65 in property taxes to the region and it is estimated the West Path Delivery Project would generate an additional $142,000 in property tax revenues once built.
