After being conditionally approved in December, the federal cabinet had 180 days to announce its final decision on the pipeline. This makes the deadline June 17.
The government has set aside a maximum of $20 million from its Northern Plan Fund to estimate costs and define the best railway option for the iron-ore rich region.
Keller had been commended for his efforts to overhaul old mines and cut costs at Codelco, but his tough style is said to have triggered tensions within the company and its powerful unions.
After years of lobbying, Canada's Federal Government seems to have persuaded the European Commission to change draft rules that would open the way for Alberta crude supplies.
The law, the first major overhaul of the country’s mining sector since 1997, denies cooperatives the right to partner with private companies, whether domestic or foreign.
