Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline
B. McPherson
Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC
coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a
twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert
city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and
the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to
the project.
There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed
Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the
proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum
from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal
would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through
wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat
would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs
to load up at the head of Douglas Channel.
While the hearings and the findings of the appointed panel
are supposed to be reviewed on face value, both federal and provincial
politicians have made clear their bias towards building the pipeline. The
provincial and federal coffers stand to swell once the crude oil starts flowing
to Asia. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already stated that a pipeline to
the west coast is in the ‘national interest’.
What many fear is that more than money will flow if the
pipeline is completed. The oil from the Exxon Valdes wreck 20 years ago is
still affecting the beaches in Alaska. The BC Ferry, Queen of the North that
sunk a couple of years ago is still burping oil near Hartley Bay. A breach in
the pipeline would pollute pristine territory.
The proposed project is sure to bring out strong opinions on
both sides of the issue. If the people of BC do not see that their opinions
matter, the nascent separatist movement for the province will likely gain
traction.
The hearings resume on the islands of Haida Gwaii in
Massett.
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