The President and CEO of Trans Mountain says the company is “chomping at the bit” to get to work now that the Trudeau government has again approved the pipeline.

Ian Anderson says they will work with the National Energy Board to get permits and licenses to resume work and he anticipates that process will happen quickly.

“That process could run from weeks to months but we anticipate it will be on the shorter end of that. Construction season for me contemplates getting back to work by late summer or early fall. If things goes according to plan I could see shovels into the ground by early September.”

Anderson says they are working with the National Energy Board to get construction permits.

“West of Edmonton and east of Jasper so in Alberta that is where we will go back to work first. As final permits and land acquisitions are made we would work into the Edmonton area as well as the North Thompson area north of Kamloops.”

As for the final cost of building the pipeline.

“The number will be north of $7.4 billion and I will disclose a final number in due course.”

Anderson says Trans Mountain crews are ready for any pipeline protests in B.C.

“We have a standing injunction place that protects all of our facilities and work activities from any interference.”

Anderson says some of the final pipeline routing is still being finalized including a possible detour around an aquifer in the Nicola Valley to address a concern from the Coldwater Indian Band.

“As it related to Coldwater as you can imagine they are a community that there was deep and significant consultation with over the last several months that we participated in together with the Crown. I have committed to Coldwater to consider routing alternatives that meet our mutual interests. We have several alternatives we are prepared to consider.”

He says any pipeline routing change would have to be run by the National Energy Board but the time and costs of doing so have already been worked into the pipeline construction plan.

Anderson is anticipating the pipeline expansion being completed by 2022.