Court overturns Trans Mountain expansion approval

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is in limbo after the Federal Court of Appeal overturned its approval Thursday.

The decision means the National Energy Board will have to redo its review of the Kinder Morgan project.

The court said the energy board’s review was flawed and that the federal government could not rely on it to make a decision.

It also found that the federal government failed to engage in meaningful consultations with First Nations before giving the green light.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government approved contentious Trans Mountain expansion in 2016.

The project would triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which carries oil from near Edmonton to Metro Vancouver for overseas shipping.

This spring, the government announced plans to buy the pipeline and expansion project for $4.5 billion.

Kinder Morgan shareholders approved selling the pipeline to Canada Thursday after the court’s decision.