Joint Review Panel Established for the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project

OTTAWA , Jan. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Mr. Gaétan Caron, Chair and CEO of the National Energy Board, announced today the establishment of a three-member joint review panel for the environmental and regulatory review of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project.

Minister Prentice and the National Energy Board appointed Ms. Sheila A. Leggett as the Panel chair, and Mr. Hans Matthews and Mr. Kenneth M. Bateman as Panel members. Biographical information on the Panel chair and members is available in the accompanying backgrounder.

The joint review panel process will provide an opportunity for all hearing participants to make their views known on the project in an open and transparent forum. The public and Aboriginal groups are encouraged to bring their views on the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project forward to the Joint Review Panel (the Panel).

A Joint Review Panel Agreement (the Agreement) for the environmental and regulatory review was signed by Minister Prentice and Mr. Caron and was released on December 4, 2009 . The Agreement, which was issued for a 64-day public comment period before being finalized, describes the Panel's Terms of Reference as well as the process to be followed for conducting the joint panel review.

The Agreement, including the Terms of Reference, as well as additional information on the project are available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's website at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca, under reference number 06-05-21799, and on the National Energy Board's website at www.neb-one.gc.ca.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the Participant Funding Program which supports individuals, non-profit organizations and Aboriginal groups interested in participating in the review panel process. Next steps in the review process will include the announcement of the participant funding recipients and the filing of the project application by Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines with the National Energy Board. The Panel will provide additional opportunities for public input and input by Aboriginal groups on the List of Issues to be considered by the Panel. Additional information will be available when the Panel issues its Hearing Order.

About the Project

Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines proposes to construct and operate two pipelines, 1170 km in length, between an inland terminal at Bruderheim, Alberta and a marine terminal near Kitimat, British Columbia. About 500 km of pipeline will be in Alberta and 670 km in British Columbia. One of the pipelines will carry crude oil west to Kitimat and the other line will carry condensate east to Bruderheim. The project also includes the construction and operation of an integrated marine infrastructure at tidewater to accommodate loading and unloading of oil and condensate tankers and marine transportation of oil and condensate.

About the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.

About the National Energy Board

The National Energy Board is an independent federal agency that regulates several parts of Canada's energy industry. Its purpose is to promote safety and security, environmental protection, and efficient energy infrastructure and markets in the Canadian public interest, within the mandate set by Parliament in the regulation of pipelines, energy development and trade.

    
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                                 Backgrounder
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                      Northern Gateway Pipeline Project
                   Joint Review Panel - Biographical Notes
    

Ms. Sheila A. Leggett

Ms. Leggett has extensive regulatory experience, as well as a background in environmental issues and research. She has been a member of the National Energy Board (NEB) since 2006 and is currently the Vice-Chair of the National Energy Board.

Before joining the NEB, Ms. Leggett was a board member with the Natural Resources Conservation Board, which conducts hearings into natural resource development projects in Alberta. Prior to this, Ms. Leggett was a vice-president and senior consultant with an environmental consulting firm and a founding board member for Alberta Ecotrust.

She has served on numerous NEB regulatory panels, nine of which she has chaired. One of those included serving as the Chair for the Emera Brunswick Pipeline Project, the first National Energy Board hearing substitution for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency joint review panel process. Ms. Leggett is also the Chair of the NEB's Governance Committee.

Ms. Leggett has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from McGill University and a Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Calgary . Ms. Leggett has published numerous papers and made presentations at conferences across North America . She resides in Calgary .

Mr. Hans Matthews

Mr. Matthews is a professional geologist with more than 25 years experience in the mining, minerals and resource management industries. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Masters of Science degree and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Brock University. Mr. Matthews has held executive positions focused on natural resource and environmental management, economic development and strategic policy and planning.

Mr. Matthews has extensive experience in Aboriginal community development and consultation within the mineral exploration industry in Canada and abroad. He has worked since 1991 with Aboriginal communities in supporting economic development initiatives as a leader, advisor and negotiator. Part of this has been to aid Aboriginal communities to use and understand aspects of the natural resources sector to promote community development through his role as President of the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association for more than 18 years. Moreover, he was an advisor of Natural Resources with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada where he developed employment strategies through the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative. Mr. Matthews also worked as an Aboriginal advisor implementing Aboriginal community relations policies, facilitating negotiations and workshops, and liaising between industry, Aboriginal groups, and government with both Rio Tinto and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

As a professional geologist, Mr. Matthews has extensive knowledge of the Canadian natural resources industry. Since 2007, he has been the manager of mineral exploration with Mohawk Garnet Inc., was a mine/project geologist for the Xstrata Nickel Mine in Falconbridge, Ontario, and was the Vice-President of Exploration with Arizona Explorations.

Mr. Matthews is a member of the Wahnapitae First Nation, Ontario, where he resides.

Mr. Kenneth M. Bateman

Mr. Bateman is a Canadian energy lawyer and former senior executive in the Canadian energy sector. He has been a member of the National Energy Board (NEB) since 2006. In addition to expertise in the energy sector, Mr. Bateman has extensive experience with major sustainable energy projects, including wind farms and biowaste facilities.

As a member of the National Energy Board, Mr. Bateman has been involved in numerous land and off-shore pipeline hearings, such as the Brunswick Pipeline Project, Deep Panuke and Keystone XL. He is Chair of the NEB's Regulatory Policy Committee.

Prior to appointment as a National Energy Board member, Mr. Bateman was the Vice-President of Legal Affairs for Enmax, a large energy distribution, supply and service company. At Enmax, Mr. Bateman served as head of the legal department and oversaw corporate governance, the regulatory affairs, environment and compliance departments. Mr. Bateman also has extensive training and knowledge in arbitration, mediation and multiparty dispute resolution.

Mr. Bateman holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of International Business Management degree from the American Graduate School of International Management . Mr. Bateman resides in Calgary , Alberta.

For further information: Media may contact: Annie Roy, Manager, Communications, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Tel.: [phone]; Kristen Higgins, Communications Officer, National Energy Board, Tel.: [phone]