Recent-weeks have seen the Energy East pipeline propelled into a national issue, debated from Alberta all the way to the Maritimes. Pipeline opponents are now more confident than ever that the additional

scrutiny, and project delays, will eventually kill the project.

Leanne Sutton is a resident of Red Head, the neighbourhood in east Saint John that will be the end of the line for the Energy East pipeline and will be the location of a tank farm and marine terminal to export the oil if the project goes ahead.

“We have legitimate questions and concerns that we legitimately need answered for our own health and benefits and what have you,” says Sutton.

Sutton has watched as Energy East progressed from a local, to a national issue.

“The Energy East pipeline was not on anybody's radar a year and a half ago and now, it's on everybody's radar,” says Sutton.

The federal government is now insisting the project's impact on greenhouse gas emissions be examined.

The most recent delay has pipeline opponents more optimistic thaN ever. Many believe the more times the project is delayed, the better the chance that Energy East will be derailed, permanently.

Some members of the business community support the pipeline and have concerns about the increasing length of the process.

“The longer the process goes on, the higher risk to a project that is economically viable being rescinded,” says Colleen Mitchell, with Atlantic Centre For Energy.

While the approval process continues, Mitchell says TransCanada already has about 200 people doing design and preparation work in New Brunswick.

Meantime, the National Energy Board is examining the most recent plan for Energy East.

“Part of the reason, is that we've just recently received amendments from TransCanada that changes their application. So first we have to determine if the application is complete to begin the review,” says Peter Watson, with THE National Energy Board.

The National Energy Board now hopes that a schedule for cross-country hearings on the pipeline will be released this summer.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron