Condition Compliance

Conditions are requirements that a company must complete to be allowed to construct, operate and abandon a project. A large portion of the CER’s compliance work focuses on overseeing companies to make sure they comply with the conditions the CER has set.

Conditions reduce possible risks identified during the application process. The conditions apply during various stages of a project’s life cycle:

• before construction
• during construction
• before or during operation of the project
• during or after abandonment of the project

Projects must be designed, constructed and operated safely, protecting human health and the environment. Conditions are put in place to keep companies responsible for making sure their pipelines and power lines are planned, built, operated, and abandoned safely; protecting the environment and respecting the rights of those affected by their presence.

Conditions are project-specific. The CER sets them during the application process to reduce risks and ensure safety for the construction and operation of a company’s project. They may be imposed for a variety of other reasons, such as requiring a company to submit:

• environmental protection plans
• construction schedules
• species-specific studies
• mitigation and monitoring documentation
• employee training programs and manuals

Condition timelines are project-specific. The CER can impose conditions throughout the life cycle of the project. Sometimes, companies must meet conditions before they can begin a new project or a new phase of a project.

The CER is responsible for verifying compliance with its project requirements. It does this through:

• inspections
• management system audits
• compliance meetings
• manual or report reviews
• emergency response exercise evaluations
• information requests
• information submissions

More information on the CER’s Compliance Verification Toolkit is available in Section III of the CER's Regulatory Framework web page.

Companies are required to comply with conditions. Where companies are found to be in non-compliance, the CER requires them to return to compliance and may take enforcement action. More information on our enforcement approach and toolkit can be found in the CER's Enforcement Policy.

In-Progress conditions are ones that the CER continues to monitor and follow up. This happens when:

• a project is not completed and it has conditions that have not been completed
• a project has a post-construction condition, but construction has not yet been completed
• the CER has not yet received condition filings
• the CER has received the condition filings but they do not meet the requirements

This means that the condition has been met, and no further submissions from the company are required.