Association says pipelines are in 'national interest' as new rules introduced

The Alberta environment minister and a prominent energy association are hoping new federal pipeline regulations don't cause excessive delays and strike a balance between economic and environmental interests.

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Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced Wednesday that the government is launching an interim review process that will impose more steps on projects such as Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain and TransCanada's Energy East pipelines before they can be built.

The Alberta environment minister says it's important the federal government has public support.

"We do not want to have any unnecessary delays," Shannon Phillips told CBC News in an interview.

"However the fact of the matter is that we need to have a process that has the confidence of Canadians."

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Chris Bloomer of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association says he hopes the new regulations won't create unnecessary delays.

"I am optimistic," Bloomer said.

"It is not good that there are delays, the goal posts keep moving away but if this results in getting to a point where we do get projects approved and get that uncertainty over with, that is great."

Bloomer said it's important to keep in the mind the scope of large pipeline projects.

"Thousands of jobs. It translates right across the country, right across the whole economy, not just Alberta. That is a national thing," he said.

Phillips says she thinks the regulations will strike a good balance between the economy and the environment.

"Albertans know that we cannot grow the economy without being environmentally sustainable," Phillips said.

"I fully expect the federal government will apply that same kind of reason and evidence-based decision making to this file."