Cdn Feds Show Bias Before Hearings on the Destruction of the Great Bear Rain Forest
By B. McPherson
Hearings are scheduled to start in Kitimat, BC, to hear the
public speak about their interest in the proposed Enbridge Gateway Pipeline
that is proposed to dig its way through the Great Bear Rain Forest to bring
crude oil from the Alberta oil sands to the BC coast at the end of Douglas
Channel.
The Calgary based company has proposed the construction of
twin pipelines that would snake from outside of Edmonton to the village of
Kitimat. One pipeline would carry crude oil west while the second pipeline
would carry the solvent needed to make the crude flow, east for reuse.
Enbridge is the same company that has its megaproject in the
US stalled, the Keystone Pipeline.
The proposed route through British Columbia is a poor choice
because it targets the untouched temperate rain forest, it ends at the head of
a tortuous fiord, and many of the native land claims involving this land have
yet to be settled.
Prime Minister Harper has stated that a pipeline to the west
coast is necessary in order to sell oil to the Asian markets. With the stalling
of the Keystone project he has stated that the market needs to diversify. Monday,
in a shot across the bows, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver lumped
opponents of the pipelines with radicals and other foreign special interest
groups.
“Oliver says the groups "threaten to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda," stack the hearings with people to delay or kill "good projects," attract "jet-setting" celebrities and use funding from "foreign special interest groups."” CBC
Over 4 000 people have registered to speak at the hearings.
According to the rules, those deeming the issue of import to them have the
right to speak. Oliver is now speaking of changing the rules. He spoke on the
Monday CBC news about jobs, about global markets and various riches expected,
but failed to mention the environmental impact of a double pipeline buried
through rare temperate rain forest. The swath would have to remain clear of
regrowth and access roads would have to be cut in order to maintain or repair leaks.
Respected environmentalist David Suzuki speaking during an
interview on the CBC is quoted:
"We have become so powerful and demanding that we are negatively impacting air, water, soil and biodiversity, the very source of our lives and livelihood," the scientist and broadcaster said. "That's what environmentalists are concerned about and the minister's diatribe prevents us from having this important discussion of values and balance." David Suzuki
Minister Oliver also condemned the influx of “foreign money”
into Canada to support environmental groups. The Alberta Oil Sands project is
heavily financed by foreign owned companies.
Some of the players in the oil sands:
Shell Oil – owned by Dutch interests
Total – owned by French interests
Sinopec – owned by Chinese interests
Statoil ASA – owned by Norwegian interests
Nexen – owned by US interests
Imperial Oil – owned by US interests
Ref: Wikipedia
The oil sands oil will flow to the coast one way or the other. I believe Gateway project is the safest. You talk about foreign interests in oil sands but you forgot about the largest which is Sincrude a Canadian company. The future of my pension and those of many others including Canada Pension have a vested interest in this project as in Canadian share holders in all of the companies involved in the Alberta oil sands . All we hear from environmentalists block this project and change to more environmentally friendly energy but do not suggest how we do that and at the same time preserve our pensions, healthcare and education system. Just for a start!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to comment on my article. The longer route to Prince Rupert would avoid despoiling the Great Bear Rain Forest as well as eliminate the tortuous route up the fiord into Kitimat. I have copied from the Syncrude home page a list of the owners in the Syndicate. Some of the interests are Canadian as you point out, but others definitely are not.
ReplyDeleteSyncrude Owners
The Syncrude Project is a Joint Venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership, as the project owners, and Syncrude as the project operator.
ref:http://www.syncrude.ca/users/folder.asp?FolderID=7101
Ex-Inspector Urges Cancellation of Keystone XL Pipeline
ReplyDeleteA former inspector on the original Keystone pipeline is sounding the alarm over TransCanada’s plans for the Keystone XL. Mike Klink, a former Bechtel employee who surveyed the first Keystone pipeline, says he raised numerous concerns during construction that went ignored. The first Keystone carries tar sands oil from Alberta to refineries in the Midwest, while the XL would extend that route to the Gulf Coast. Writing in Nebraska’s Lincoln Journal Star, Klink describes a number of safety and design flaws, including cheap foreign steel, weak foundations and rigged safety tests. He concludes: "I am coming forward because my kids encouraged me to tell the truth about what was done and covered up... I am not telling you we shouldn’t build pipelines. We just should not build this one." Klink says Bechtel fired him for voicing his complaints.
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