Squamish Nation challenging B.C.'s approval of Kinder Morgan project in court

The Squamish Nation says it was not given adequate information about the safety risks associated with Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain expansion project. It's taking that argument to the B.C. Supreme Court this week in hopes of stopping the expansion.

The court is holding a provincial judicial review of the B.C. government's decision to approve the project.

"The NEB [National Energy Board] is approving a project without proper analysis," said Squamish Nation hereditary chief Ian Campbell. 

"The province and the feds have gone along with that recommendation without proper analysis of how diluted bitumen will affect the Salish Sea."

The Trans Mountain expansion would triple the amount of oil being transferred through pipelines from Alberta to the terminal in Burnaby, B.C.. The number of tankers in the water would increase from five to 35 each month. 

"We do not like the risk associated with this project and our membership and leadership is very concerned with the way which this has been mismanaged," said Campbell.

Latest in legal proceedings

These court proceedings are just the latest for the controversial pipeline expansion.

Last month, the Squamish Nation also took part, along with other First Nations, environmental groups and local governments, in a judicial review of Ottawa's approval of the project. A decision in that case has not yet been made. 

In September, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against Kinder Morgan Canada and the federal government. It found the federal government failed in its legal obligation to act in the best interests of the Coldwater Indian Band when it neglected to modernize the terms of a 1952 decision that allowed Kinder Morgan to use Coldwater's reserve for the pipeline.

The latest proceedings are expected to last a week. A decision isn't expected until early next year.