(Recasts with announcement)
OTTAWA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The Canadian government on Monday named three replacement members for a National Energy Board panel examining TransCanada Corp 's TRP.TO Energy East pipeline, the Natural Resources Canada federal agency said in a statement.
The original three-person panel quit in early September after it emerged two members had privately met a TransCanada consultant before the hearings formally started. The pipeline faces fierce opposition from environmental groups.