Clark’s comments came the same day Enbridge promised to add $500 million in safety improvements to its proposal, which the company said is meant to address concerns raised by first nations and the public. First nations in northern B.C. were quick to say the additional safety measures would not alter their opposition to the 1,150-kilometre pipeline between the Alberta oilsands and Kitimat, however.
Clark spoke one day after she held extraordinary face-to-face meetings with the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan — as well as a phone call with Prime Minister Stephen Harper — giving all three a warning that her government will next week lay out its demands on the Gateway project.
“I was giving them the heads up on what we’re going to be talking about next week because I don’t want my colleagues, particularly our neighbours in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to be surprised,” Clark told The Vancouver Sun Friday.
Clark said that as early as Monday she will provide “a little bit more detail about what British Columbians need to see out of the proposal in order for it to work for us.”
“British Columbians want to have our environment protected and they want to know that we’re going to be looking out for their best interests when it comes to jobs and economic benefits,” she said.
“I understand there are other politicians in this country that would rather that I put those things aside. I’m not going to. That was not what I was elected to do.”
Clark said she also plans to raise the Northern Gateway as an issue in Halifax next week when provincial and territorial leaders meet at the Council of the Federation.
In addition to releasing what the province wants to see changed on the pipeline project, the B.C. Liberal government is also expected next week to submit information about what it will be asking as an intervener in the National Energy Board hearings into the Northern Gateway proposal.
Clark said she had not seen the specific details of the improvements Enbridge promised Friday, and therefore could not comment.
But she did say the proposal so far has not been a good enough deal for B.C.
“There is a risk to our environment and there is very little benefit to jobs and to our economy and to our province,” she said.
“The balance isn’t there for British Columbia today and I don’t think British Columbians will want this project to go ahead until we can find that balance — unless we can find that balance.”
New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix said Clark’s comments are motivated by politics, and represent just the latest in a series of positions by the premier.
“She’s taken all the positions so far and it appears to be the result of constant political calculations on her part, but no commitment to principle or a straightforward assessment or the public interest,” he said in an interview Friday.
“I guess the premier believes that serves her political interests; I don’t believe the public sees it very positively.”
On Friday, Calgary-based Enbridge stressed the original design of the pipeline was already “state of the art,” but said the proposed improvements — increasing the thickness of the line by an average of 20 per cent, adding 50 per cent more shut-off valves and increasing inspections by 50 per cent — will make the line even safer.
Enbridge is also proposing to improve its leak-detection system and to staff eight pump stations around the clock.
The changes will increase the project budget to $6 billion from $5.5 billion.
Company officials said the improvements are meant to respond to concerns raised by first nations and other members of the public during a federal review that started six months ago.
“We cannot guarantee that there would not be a failure on this pipeline just like Air Canada will never guarantee your plane, when it takes off, will land safely. But what we’re saying here is we are going to be as close as you possibly can be to providing that guarantee with that [new] design,” Enbridge executive vice-president, western access Janet Holder said.
The proposal to staff the eight pump stations around the clock will add about another 50 full-time employees to the project. Except in Kitimat and Edmonton, the pump stations would normally be monitored remotely.
Usually, the inside of the pipeline would be inspected once every five years, but Enbridge is proposing to do that every 21/2 years.
The line was already designed with 110 shut-off valves — used to isolate oil when there is a leak — but about 50 more valves will be added, largely in northern B.C. on tributaries of the Fraser and Skeena rivers.
“I don’t know how they could make it safer because their record and reputation hasn’t shown them to be very safe,” said Saik’uz First Nations chief Jackie Thomas.
The Saik’uz belong to the five-member Yinka Dene Alliance, whose traditional territories encompass 25 per cent of the pipeline route in north-central B.C.
While Canadian courts have said first nations do not have a veto over projects such as the Enbridge pipeline, they must be consulted and accommodated where necessary on projects that impact their traditional territories.
Thomas said she believes Enbridge’s announcement is an attempt to diminish criticism following a recent scathing report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board report that found it took Enbridge 17 hours after the initial alarm to take action on a disastrous oil spill in Michigan in 2010. The report also noted Enbridge failed to fix the pipeline, despite knowing since 2004 it was corroded. (Enbridge says it has already made safety-change improvements as a result of the accident).
B.C. aboriginals also stressed that making an announcement after nearly a decade of work on the project calls into question Enbridge’s previous statements they were building the safest pipeline possible.
“To have skimped on a half a billion dollars worth of safety until they got caught with their pants down on the Kalamazoo [River oil spill in Michigan] is really an insult to British Columbians,” said Sterritt.
While the money would likely improve the pipeline, Sterritt said he doesn’t believe thicker pipeline walls or more valves would make the pipeline safe in a mountainous area prone to slides.
He also noted the $500 million makes no changes to oil tanker traffic on the coast, which the 10-member Coastal First Nations opposes.
The Lake Babine Nation, which is not part of the Yinka Dene Alliance, also said the additional safety spending doesn’t change their opposition to the pipeline. “[Enbridge] can’t be trusted,” said Lake Babine chief Wilf Adam.
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Jonathan Fowlie and Gordon Hoekstra
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