Kinder Morgan’s second phase of public consultation for its proposed twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline through Kamloops is set to begin in mid-March.

In the meantime, the company is planning to post the results of its first public consultations, which were held last fall in 37 communities between Edmonton and Burnaby, the pipeline’s shipping terminus.

“We finished those in January, we’re compiling all the results and releasing them next week,” said Lisa Clement, media relations representative for the company.

The results will be available at www.transmountain.com.

Kinder Morgan announced early last year that it plans to twin the pipeline system, which has operated since 1953, pending National Energy Board approval. More recently, the company expanded the scope of its proposal based on market demand, citing sufficient customer orders to warrant two 36-inch pipes.

The project represents a projected investment of $5 billion.

The company is currently engaged in NEB discussions in Calgary over tolling structure — what customers will be paying to ship through an expanded Trans Mountain pipeline system, Clement said.

“The next step will be doing some workshops in communities along the route,” she added.

Feedback obtained through consultations will ultimately be integrated into the company’s facilities application for submission to the NEB. That document, expected to be complete by year’s end, will address all aspects of the project, including routing and environmental studies.

Clement questioned the findings of a public opinion poll conducted by Insights West. As reported in Thursday’s Daily News, the survey found only 38 per cent support for the pipeline twinning in B.C.

She suggested that the B.C. sample of 512 residents is too small to accurately represent public opinion. She also said that the pollster is a new company trying to break into the market with a topic of broad interest.

Clement said feedback the company has received has generally been good with some opposition expressed as the dialogue continues.

“They’re just seeking information,” she said. “They want the facts.”