The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline hearings are underway in Kitimat, BC. If Enbridge and the federal government have their way, two pipelines will be built: one carrying crude oil from Edmonton to Kitimat, and another transporting condensate in the reverse direction. Their reasoning: open up the oil taps to the Asian markets and create jobs. Enbridge claims that this 1,177 kilometre pair of pipelines will create 1,150 permanent jobs and give the BC government $1.2 billion in tax revenue over the lifetime of the project.
The two main concerns are spills and leaks from the pipeline and from Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). The pipelines are to cross three tributaries of the Fraser River, which are vital salmon habitat, while VLCCs will have to navigate the windy Douglas Channel and the infamously rough seas of Hecate Strait.
Given Enbridge’s track record (over 600 oil and gas spills since 1999), it’s no surprise that 130 First Nations bands in BC oppose the project. Not only does a spill threaten the diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the area, it threatens the livelihoods of the communities that depend on healthy salmon runs and ecotourism.
Enbridge isn’t currently liable to pick up the tab when a spill occurs, leaving the taxpayers hanging.
Tell the government not to let corporations hijack the political process and submit your comments to the National Energy Board: go to forestethics.org before March 13.