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Federal Liberals confirm plans to intervene in B.C.'s Trans Mountain court case

Last Updated May 4, 2018 at 6:17 am MDT

Pipes are seen at the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain facility in Edmonton, Alta., Thursday, April 6, 2017. A spokesman for refiners in Western Canada says any move by the Alberta government to shut off the flow of refined fuel to B.C. could negatively affect the province's four refineries in the Edmonton area. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

OTTAWA – Justice Minister Judy Wilson-Raybould says the federal government will intervene in the British Columbia court case over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The province has put a jurisdictional question before the courts, asking whether it has the authority to regulate the transport of heavy oil in the province.

The expansion of the pipeline, which would carry diluted bitumen from Alberta to the B.C. coast for export to overseas markets, is supported by the federal government.

The province, however, has vowed to fight the expansion by any means at its disposal, as have environmental groups.

The federal Liberals have made the pipeline a key component of its plan to grow the economy while protecting the environment.

Wilson-Raybould says she is confident that Parliament has the jurisdiction to approve the project.