Terry Lake Says More Information is Needed On Northern Gateway
Monday, July 23, 2012 @ 11:35 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Using words such as “insufficient” and “inappropriate”, the Christy Clark government today stated it will not support pipeline projects in this province unless five minimum requirements are met.
Those requirements were spelled out in our previous story on the government’s position today.
Environment Minister Terry Lake says answers to questions about potential spill detection and response, First Nations participation in the Enbridge proposal and project benefits to BC are insufficient at this time. And he says it would not be appropriate for the government to make a commitment one way or the other on the Northern Gateway project in light of the fact the environmental review has not been completed.
Lake would not be pinned down on what the government would consider fair return to British Columbia for allowing the project to proceed. He says “British Columbians are fair and reasonable. What that number is remains to be seen. The premier and Premier Redford (of Alberta) have already initiated those discussions. I’m sure the premier will speak more to that in future days.”
The BC government missed the deadline for making a presentation at the National Energy Board hearings on Northern Gateway, and today’s document will not be going to the Joint Review Panel. Lake was asked if the document is nothing more than a big pile of questions, rather than a definitive statement with little weight. “We, as intervenors, have the opportunity to cross-examine Enbridge, we signal our intention to do so and the papers we are presenting today will no doubt inform that process.” Lake says many pieces of the puzzle aren’t part of the NEB process but involved third parties like Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard. “Those are questions outside of the environmental review process but they are still important questions that need to be answered before we would consider support.”
Lake says under the current Enbridge proposal, the company’s responsibility would basically end once the oil reached the coast. He says Enbridge has mentioned that it would be happy to go above and beyond the regulations that are in place, “but we won’t to go beyond that. We want to make sure that, if this were to be approved, that once those tankers leave Kitimat, that they would in fact be guided and our coastline guarded by the best available system in place.” He says that doesn’t necessarily involve Enbridge. “They can’t make commitments on behalf of Canada in terms of the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada and the spill response mechanism that needs to be in place to satisfy British Columbians that the risks would be absolutely minimized.” Lake says he wants to see that the commitment is there on behalf of Canada when it comes to having a top notch spill response. He says the responsibility would not be on the shoulders of Enbridge.
Lake says an industry-funded remediation model must be forwarded to ensure that taxpayers are not left on the hook for any adverse events, such as spills, or for their response and clean-up.
And finally, asked whether the BC government could stop the project should it get the go ahead following the environmental review, the minister said "Look, for that project to proceed it would still need 60 provincial permits which would have to be signed off, and it would have to be powered by B.C. Hydro. I think there would be room for negotiation with Ottawa."
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http://www.biv.com/article/20120501/BIV0319/305019939/-1/BIV/pipeline-will-siphon-off-economic-opportunities
From Business Vancouver
A young grad student friend from Vancouver recently sent me an email from Oxford that included this line: âMartin Wolf, the chief economic commentator for the Financial Times, gave a guest lecture at the business school in which he summarized the state of the world as roughly âthe U.K., Europe and the U.S. are falling apart. If you want a job, go to Canada or Australia.â Of course, he also went on to describe both countries as âresource-rich, English-speaking overseas provinces of Chinaââ¦ââ
And here is the best comment, in my opinion.
Canadians need to stand up for Canadaâs long-term economic interests â counting costs as well as benefits. Hear it from Bruk: âIf we miss this historical opportunity of upgrading our commodities before exporting them we will ⦠handicap seriously the future of our children and grandchildren. ⦠Selling natural resources while their value is escalating from increasing demand is a sure money-loser.â
We know that Alberta looks out for Alberta. That has been proven over and over again.
BC needs to show that it not only looks out for BC’s interests, but also Canada’s interests.
Thanks Gus for the article…very interesting indeed! All should read it.
If the governments of Canada want to increase the wealth of our nation, then foster job creation right here in Canada. We as a nation have all the raw resources the world needs. Let’s process these resources right here in Canada!
We should soon get to see how much vision there is in this country when it comes to securing Canada’s interests:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/07/23/20120723-nexen.html?cmp=rss
And in related news, Alberta has annouced it will immediately begin taxing every rail car, truck and bottle of wine entering the Province from BC.
BC fired back by instituting a head tax on Alberta ski boats on Okanagan Lake.
Revenues generated by the pipeline are divided this way 50 plus percent to the feds 30 plus percent to Alberta and BC gets the remaining 8 percent.
“… and it would have to be powered by B.C. Hydro”
Actually Enbridge has exclusive Noth American distribution rights for this clean energy system:
“The hybrid, multi-megawatt DFC-ERGTM (Direct FuelCell Energy Recovery GenerationTM) system combines a Direct FuelCell® power plant with an unfired gas expansion turbine. The DFC-ERG generates Ultra-Clean electricity while recovering energy normally lost during natural gas pipeline distribution operations. The DFC-ERG is unique, with electrical efficiencies of up to 65%, low noise, and virtually zero smog emissions.”
http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/dfc-erg.php
“Want to learn more about FuelCell Energy’s exciting technology? Looking for technical information on our Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power systems? Look no further. The Knowledge Library is a repository for all FuelCell Energy documents. Please see a list of available documents below: “
http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/knowledge-library.php
Umm this isn’t a natural gas pipeline ecotruth but nice try.
Crusty clark is a sell out she should get behind BCers and say absolutely not to the proposed Gateway project. Where is the main stream media?? They are all a bunch of yes men for Crusty Clark. She shouldn’t be allowed to run a berger bar. Thank god she will be gone next year. She has sold most of BC’s profitable assets already. I just hope Mr Dix has the courage to reverse some of these shady deals the BC Lieberals have purpotrated on us. Shirley Bond is another sell out as she is the main push to get BCLB sold when it is making a profit and has been for the past five years to the tune of 475 million yearly.
What Harper doesn’t understand is that Canada needs an energy strategy to ensure Canada comes first and Canadians are protected against unstable prices from elsewhere.
http://www.theprovince.com/news/government+sets+conditions+asks+fair+share+profits+from+Northern+Gateway/6977767/story.html
This is not acceptable as we are to shoulder 100% of the marine risk and 58% of the land base risk in the event of an oil spill.
Enbridge should be shouldering 100% of all risk! It is their pipe line, their responsibility!
Speaking of risk and responsibilty does anyone know the answer to…At what point does Enbridge give up all responsibility to a spill. Is it when the tanker has been loaded but still in port,coastal waters? Or is their liability only to the event of a land based spill.
Soon as it hits the boat Enbridge has nothing to do with it. But then again from past practice they don’t have much to do with a land based spill either.
If you try to measure this project against this five point test, it fails at least a few of them and thus we can assume the province is opposed even if they don’t actually say the words?
Just out of curiosity, how do they stop this project if indeed it fails to meet even one of their five points? Do they send out the BC RCMP to secure the border?
And if by some miracle there is a shift in benefits to address the province’s fifth point, can we assume all those benefits would flow to “northern BC” where the risks actually are and not into the black hole for public spending in Victoria and Metro Vancouver?
I find it interesting the coincidence of Enbridge having meetings here,the announcement of them setting up an office and the appearence of Ecotruth soon after.
LOL yeah freaky eh … Sorry to disappoint you but the only business relationship myself or family has with Enbridge is they are my residential gas service provider.
For all you know I could be the Powell River Persuades if he was born in Powell River 31 years ago.
Thanks for the compliment ;-)
Actually I was born in Powell River back in the early 50’s, but I
was there for a bit when #11 was going in.
Your community is fortunate to have Enbridge I heard they pay good,wages, benefits, and are very patient.
The fibre industry has really downsized employment , over the past couple of decades, commercial fishing dropped also not much happening over at Bella Coola since the ’80s, Tumbler Ridge is a 21st Century Barkerville, last mega project was Revelstoke dam, and the Sea to Sky vertical highway, Prince Rupert got a coal super port but then they lost the pulp mill, any word on Kitimat’s Methanex plant?
Tragic Burns Lake then Lakeland Mills any word from the government about new safety regulations, was the smoke from the explosion and fires worse for peoples health than regular forest fires?
Is Greenpeace going to let them rebuild? How about a memorial for the workers that had lives snuffed out prematurely? Has there been any environmental accessments done do people know what they breathing?
Updated link to Lakeland Mills maybe someone can set up a fundraiser for the victims families.
http://hqprincegeorge.com/news/local/news/Local/12/07/23/Three-Months-Since-Lakeland-Mills-Sawmill-Explosion
If you are not from here please do not please refrain commenting on things you seem to know nothing about.As for your use of the term “snuffed out” I find it to be disrespectful and callous please consider an apology to the family and friends of Alan Little and Glenn Francis Roche.
Thank you for the information, I will add their names to my prayers, although I did not know them personally I have walked the same pathways.
Seems how you know the families personally would you perhaps have time to ask if we may start an annual memorial charity baseball tournament in their names and we should include Burns Lake workers as well. With any of the funds raised at the tournament being donated to the families that have been impacted by these tragic incidents.
If I can put a together a pro-pipeline baseball team would the anti-pipeline protesters be able to put one together by let’s say Labour Day weekend, and if we get some impartial umpires, that might help?
We may find out shortly the root cause of the sawmill incidents, it may have something to do with naturally occurring decomposing organic hydrogen carbons releasing methane. Enbridge has over 60 years experience with methane perhaps it is more than a coincidence that they recently joined the communities of the Cariboo.
Thank you for the information, I will add their names to my prayers, although I did not know them personally I have walked the same pathways.
Seems how you know the families personally would you perhaps have time to ask if we may start an annual memorial charity baseball tournament in their names and we should include Burns Lake workers as well. With any of the funds raised at the tournament being donated to the families that have been impacted by these tragic incidents.
If I can put a together a pro-pipeline baseball team would the anti-pipeline protesters be able to put one together by let’s say Labour Day weekend, and if we get some impartial umpires, that might help?
We may find out shortly the root cause of the sawmill incidents, it may have something to do with naturally occurring decomposing organic hydrogen carbons releasing methane. Enbridge has over 60 years experience with methane perhaps it is more than a coincidence that they recently joined the communities of the Cariboo.
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