Premier Clark told to reject pipeline

Clint r

Well-Known Member
copied from Castanet news service:

The Canadian Press - Oct 6 8:46 am
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is being challenged to reject Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion proposal because it can never meet one of her five conditions to support oil pipeline development.

More than 30 environmental, social and aboriginal groups from across Canada have sent a letter to Clark that reminds her that one of B.C.'s conditions for pipeline support includes assurances of a world-leading oil-spill response.

The groups say a study from the National Academy of Science concludes that oil containing diluted bitumen acts differently than other types of crude when spilled.

The study warns diluted bitumen sinks in water and there is no known way to clean up heavy oils that settle to the bottom of oceans, lakes or rivers.

The groups, which include Greenpeace and the Council of Canadians, say Clark must stick to her conditions and reject Kinder Morgan's proposal, even though it is widely expected to receive federal approval by year's end.

In July 2012, Clark set five conditions before oil could be piped across southern B.C. to west coast ports: completion of environmental reviews, cutting-edge land and water cleanup programs, solutions to First Nations issues and a fair share of any profits.

Kinder Morgan's $6.8-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would almost triple the amount of diluted Alberta bitumen being pumped to an export terminal in Burnaby, B.C., and would result in a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic in waters off southern B.C.

"Twenty one B.C. municipalities, 17 First Nations, environmental groups and citizens across the country are opposed to Kinder Morgan because the science clearly shows the oil-spill risk is too great and the impacts too catastrophic," Sven Biggs, a spokesman for environmental group Stand, says in a news release.

 
Wonder if refining it at source to one grade below gasoline would be a solution. Getting the highest value, jobs refining and controlling refining emissions with the best technology available seems like a better place to start trying to win public approval. At least when there is a spill it will evaporate quickly with the least impact on the environment.
 
I agree 100% Terrin. People yowl oh the jobs, the jobs, we need pipe lines for the jobs. I call BS. If it was truly about the jobs, we'd be refining here. Same goes for softwood lumber and raw log exports. If it was about the jobs we wouldn't be sending raw resources out of country and then buying the finished product back. We'd be selling our finished/refined product to the rest of the world. And maybe even saving a buck or two at the pumps/hardware store.
 
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So true, but that is unlikely to ever happen. The only way way to prevent this ecological disaster from going ahead is by turfing the Liberals from office. Hopefully, a government that is more concerned about the environment replaces them, and puts an end to these kinds of destructive projects.
 
Sadly if you turfed the Liberals you'd likely end up with the NDP whose track record is no better. Would be great if we ever got to a point where we could vote for a party rather than against one. We seem to be stuck in an endless situation of picking the" lesser evil". Time to get a fresh party with new idea's.
 
Time to get a new system w/o parties. Parties are undemocratic - and we don't need to assume we have to get stuck w them. Nunavut is also a British Parliamentary system - no parties.
 
Huh. ^^^^ interesting. I was unaware of that. Really, any things better than the system we have now.
I don't think the politicians would like anyone to know we have those choices. we do.
 
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