Alton gas storage project 'will proceed' during appeal, says minister

Nova Scotia's environment minister says the Alton gas storage project will keep moving ahead while she reviews an appeal.

"The work will proceed," Margaret Miller told reporters Thursday.

The Sipekne'katik First Nation and other groups planto file an appeal of the AltaGas project near Stewiacke on Friday.

AltaGas Ltd. plans to store natural gas in three underground salt caverns.The government approved the project in January.

"The approval allowed for work to proceed immediately. It doesn't stop when there's an appeal," Miller said.

The deadline for the appeal is Monday. Miller said she could have another appeal or two by then.

After that, she'll have 60 days to come up with a decision.Miller says there were a lot of different factors involved in the initial decision to approve the project.

"All those things could be a basis for an appeal, and we'll be ruling on that when the time comes."