The National Energy Board (NEB) is seeking public feedback on an application from Enbridge to extend environmental permits for the Northern Gateway Pipeline.
The company announced it would seek an extension on the permits May 6.
As it stands, the federal permits that allow for the project's construction are set to expire Dec. 31 if work does not begin on the pipeline. The sunset clause was one of the 209 conditions the national energy regulator put on the project when it was approved in 2014.
If the extension gets the go-ahead from the NEB, it will require additional approval from the federal government.
The NEB will accept public comments until June 27 on its website.
The 1,177 kilometre pipeline would carry diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands through northern B.C. to an export facility in Kitimat.
The project faces continued opposition from the B.C. government, environmental groups and First Nations.
When the project was approved, now-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to reverse the decision if elected, saying the project threatens B.C.'s coastal economy.
During his election campaign, Trudeau promised a moratorium on crude oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast. But in recent months, Transportation Minister Marc Garneau said that isn't necessarily a death knell for Northern Gateway.
