The federal government is advancing the process to designate Alberta's proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast as a project of national interest. A notice published in the Canada Gazette on Aug. 1 marks the start of a notice period to designate the potential pipeline as a project of national interest under Bill C-5. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe Liberals' Bill C-5, or Building Canada Act, allows projects deemed in the national interest to have their approval process, including environmental assessments, fast-tracked. The proposed pipeline would carry approximately one million barrels of crude oil a day along roughly 1,250 kilometres using a corridor similar to the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, according to the Alberta government. In May, two federal government discussion papers floated further allowances for national interest projects — proposing approval before review and exempting certain projects from the "jeopardy test" in the Species At Risk Act.