Filings Review Program

When Enbridge received the legal authority to move forward with the Line 3 Replacement Program, there were a number of steps that were required to be completed before construction could begin. The Canada Energy Regulator (CER, formerly known as the National Energy Board) imposed 89 conditions on the project that strengthen public safety, protection of the environment, and ensure continued consultation between the company, landowners, and Indigenous Peoples.

Conditions are legal requirements that a company must meet to be allowed to construct and operate a project. They are project-specific and are designed to protect the public and the environment by reducing possible risks identified during the hearing process. Most of the conditions require Enbridge to file documentation with the CER to demonstrate compliance.

Since January 2018, the Committee has been working with regulatory experts to review – from Indigenous perspectives – Enbridge’s filings to the CER in order to ensure that the Committee is able to provide informed advice to the Government and regulator, and to support the capacity of Indigenous Nations to monitor Enbridge’s activity in the right of way.

The Committee uses the results of these reviews to inform its communication and engagement with Indigenous Nations, the CER, and Enbridge. The results are also used to inform the advice it provides to Government and the regulator as well as the work of the IAMC Indigenous Monitors.

The Committee is hosting a series of workshops to build technical capacity within impacted Nations to review and interpret regulatory filings in order to address each Nation’s unique needs and concerns. The workshops cover a range of topics that are relevant to the monitoring of the Line 3 Replacement Program, and are intended to facilitate greater independent oversight for Indigenous Nations as it relates to existing and proposed federally-regulated infrastructure projects that may impact their traditional territories.

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