Group formed to oppose pipeline plan
Written by Gordon Hoekstra
Prince George Citizen staff
Thursday, 26 November 2009
A new environmental group based in Prince George has been formed to fight Enbridge's proposed $4.5-billion oil and condensate pipelines through northern B.C.
The Sea to Sands Conservation Alliance's concerns focus on the risk of a spill from the pipeline and the environmental implications of exporting oil from the Alberta tar sands. Bitumen from the Alberta oil sands create more greenhouse gas emissions - and require more water and natural gas - than conventional oil during mining and production.
Enbridge has said it has a good track record of safety on its pipelines, and it is working hard to maximize economic benefits to local economies.
"I think the concerns outweigh the benefits," said Mary MacDonald, one of the organizers of the new group which has a core of about half a dozen people in Prince George and growing distribution list of about 50 people.
The group - whose concerns echo those of other environmental groups - has also started a facebook site with about 380 members.
The proposed 1,170-km pipeline would carry oil from Alberta's tar sands through northern B.C. to Kitimat, where it would be loaded on tankers for shipment to the U.S. west coast or Asia.
Asia offers an alternate market for oil from Alberta, which almost all flows to the U.S. via pipelines.
The proposed pipeline travels near Prince George, at Bear Lake, and will cross more than 1,000 rivers and streams.
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines spokesman Steve Greenaway said the company would like to hear the new group's concerns directly. "I hope they would consider participating in our community advisory board process because that's where groups and organizations can come and sit directly at the table, and ask all the tough questions," he said. "It's certainly our obligation to answer as many as we can."
Enbridge is getting ready to hold another round of community advisory board meetings, but the sessions are not completely open. People must apply to attend the meetings. The sessions are also currently not open to the media.
Enbridge had shelved the project in late 2006, but put it back on the front burner early in 2008 after securing $100 million from Western oil producers and key Asian refiners to get the project through the regulatory process under the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
Key issues in the complex project - described by Enbridge as the largest crude oil pipeline expansion in North America - include mountainous terrain, the hundreds of river crossings and a tanker terminal at Kitimat.
Thousands of workers will be needed during the estimated three-year construction period, but relatively few when complete. It's estimated that 200 permanent workers will be needed for the pipeline, most of those in Kitimat.
Enbridge has said it plans to file its environmental application before the end of this year or early next year.
A two-year assessment timeline - should the company get approval - puts the start of the three-year construction period beyond 2012.
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20091126999917533/local/news/group-fo...
