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A natural gas pipeline that B.C. Hydro says is needed to protect Vancouver Island from possible power shortages has won the backing of two federal watchdog agencies.

The Georgia Strait Crossing project, which would bring natural gas from Washington state to the Island, "is not likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects," the agencies said in a report released Wednesday.

A three-member joint panel of the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency issued the report after holding a series of hearings into the plan.

Environmental groups are trying to prevent construction of the pipeline, saying it will hurt the marine environment.

B.C. Hydro still needs approval from the federal Environment Department, which is headed by Victoria MP David Anderson.

The panel's 220 page report has 26 recommendations for the $340-million joint venture between B.C. Hydro and Williams Gas Pipelines.

If recommendations are followed, the project -- dubbed GSX -- is not likely to result in significant environmental damage, the panel said.

Anderson will have 60 days to make a final decision on whether the pipeline is built or not.

The undersea pipeline across Georgia Strait would provide the natural gas needed to fuel an electricity generation plant on Vancouver Island at Duke Point near Nanaimo.

"We're really happy with the decision, it's timely and we're working on a pretty critical timeline here," said Elisha Moreno, media relations manager for B.C. Hydro. The utility believes the pipeline needs to be in operation by October 2005 which would require construction to get underway this fall.

"In 2007, when one of the submarine cable systems connecting the Island to the mainland is decommissioned, Island residents and businesses will face serious electricity shortfall unless something is done to replace that lost dependable capacity," said Bev Van Ruyven, senior vice-president of distribution with B.C. Hydro. "GSX is an integral part of the plan to ensure that Hydro's Vancouver Island customers continue to receive the reliable service they have come to enjoy and expect."

But while Hydro was pleased the project cleared a major hurdle, environmental groups were crying foul.

"We're quite disappointed, especially with the primary finding being there won't be significant environmental impacts," said Randy Christensen, staff lawyer with Sierra Legal Defence which was representing the David Suzuki Foundation and the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation during the panel's public hearings.

"From our perspective they didn't get there fairly," he said, noting the panel avoided evidence on the effects of increased greenhouse gas emissions.

"They excluded a number of factors. This plan will double B.C. Hydro's greenhouse gas emissions."

The Georgia Strait Crossing Concerned Citizens Coalition was singing a similar tune Wednesday, saying the evidence that was ignored proves the GSX is unnecessary.

"They failed to consider alternative on-Island generation and a new electrical transmission line, which means its decision is uninformed and fundamentally wrong," said Tom Hackney, president of the coalition.

"We are calling on the minister of the environment to reject this proposal."

The 26 recommendations included in the report are mainly procedural guidelines and common sense directives.

They include "taking all reasonable measures to construct the marine portion of the pipeline from October to April to minimize potential interactions with marine mammals" and the filing of results -- before the clearing of vegetation or ground breaking -- of various surveys and assessments of the areas that will be affected by construction.

The 136-kilometre pipeline will begin at the Huntington-Sumas trading hub, travel 53 kilometres across Washington state to Cherry Point, travel 67 kilometres across Georgia Strait and then 16 kilometres on Vancouver Island to connect with the existing Terasen Gas pipeline at Shawnigan Lake.

The gas sent through the pipeline will be used to fuel the proposed $370 million 265-megawatt Vancouver Island Generation Project at Duke Point -- currently being reviewed by the B.C. Utilities Commission -- and the existing 240-megawatt generation plant at Campbell River.