Trudeau greenlights Energy East on condition it's built using recycled materials

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rubber-stamped the controversial Energy East pipeline project on the condition it is built using only recycled materials, rabble.ca has learned.

"This government has said time and time again that pipelines are an intrinsic part of Canada's sustainable energy policy," Trudeau announced in a press conference Thursday in Montreal's historic Old Port. "But we campaigned on a promise to halt climate change."

Energy East Is Anything But Canadian Oil For Canadians

When TransCanada first announced its 4400km Energy East pipeline project from Alberta to Saint John, the spin was all about nation-building.

At their first news conference, CEO Russ Girling compared Energy East to "bold ventures" such as the Canadian Pacific Railway that evoke civic pride. "Each of these enterprises demanded innovative thinking and a strong belief that building critical infrastructure ties our country together, making us stronger and more in control of our own destiny," said Girling, as quoted in a Macleans article.

Energy East Pipeline Would Cross 828 Bodies Of Water In Quebec

If it's built, the Energy East pipeline would cross 828 bodies of water and 69 municipalities in Quebec, a document obtained by Radio-Canada shows.

The document, included in a letter sent on June 11, 2015 from TransCanada to the Union of Quebec Municipalities, details each type of body of water that would be crossed by the proposed 4,600-kilometre pipeline.

Sorry Rick Mercer, Energy East won't unite our country but it will destroy our planet

I look up to Rick Mercer and have a huge amount of respect for him, and I've been inspired by many of the rants he's filmed in this alley. But as someone who cares deeply about climate change, I'd like to respond to his most recent rant framing the Energy East pipeline as not only necessary for our economy, but a linchpin of national unity.

Energy east pipeline far from a nation-building project

MONTREAL—In the face of mounting Quebec opposition to the Energy East pipeline, the TransCanada plan to link the oilfields of Western Canada to the refineries of the Atlantic region is not officially dead but it is, at best, on life support.

On paper, no mayor including Denis Coderre, the former Liberal minister who currently runs Montreal, has the power to block a pipeline. Nor can a province veto the project. The final word on national infrastructure undertakings rests with the federal government.

First Nations inspired by B.C. in battle against Energy East

Indigenous leaders from across Canada are forming a new national political alliance to support opposition to TransCanada's Energy East pipeline. The coalition of chiefs hopes to share B.C.'s lessons for thwarting oil sands pipelines with bands from the Prairies and Eastern Canada.

Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba First Nations chiefs voted unanimously at a Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs conference on Wednesday in Vancouver to develop strategies to work together to oppose Energy East, which they see as an unacceptable risk to their lands and waterways. A first-of-its kind “Indigenous Treaty” is also in the works to tackle oil sands expansion in general.

Oka Denounces Energy East Pipeline Plans

The town of Oka's municipal council adopted a resolution Monday night opposing the Energy East pipeline project.

Residents are concerned the pipeline could contaminate Lake of Two Mountains.

Energy East Pipeline Would Stress Whales: Conservation Council of New Brunswick

FREDERICTON — A New Brunswick conservation group says the proposed Energy East pipeline would cause a stressed marine environment for whales in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine.

In a report released today on the risks the proposed bitumen pipeline poses to ocean environments, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick says noise from tanker traffic causes heightened levels of stress for the North Atlantic right whale, the most endangered large whale in the world.

Energy East Pipeline's Risks Outweigh Benefits, Ontario Energy Board Says

TORONTO — The Ontario Energy Board says there is an imbalance in the environmental and economic risks of the Energy East pipeline project and the expected benefits.

The board says its primary concerns are about pipeline safety and the impact on lakes, rivers and drinking water in the event of an oil spill, and wants it routed away from environmentally sensitive areas.

Sharing the fruits of destruction or building toward sustainability?

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has recently been complaining about the hesitation other provinces are showing toward the proposed Energy East pipeline, which is intended to help open markets and sustain development of the bitumen sands. The premier has touted billions of dollars in supposed revenues for other provinces, and rejected the idea that any part of Canada's federation can veto energy development by any other part.

What all of his comments have in common is failure to appreciate the nature and importance of the climate problem we face, and the consequences that carries for Canadian infrastructure planning.

Rachel Notley Hopeful Quebec Will Back Energy East Pipeline

QUEBEC - Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is hopeful Quebec will get behind the Energy East oil pipeline, provided her province does its part to fight climate change and protect the environment.

Notley and her Quebec counterpart, Philippe Couillard, had their first face-to-face meeting in Quebec City on Tuesday ahead of the annual premiers' meeting in St. John's, N.L., later this week. The two discussed Energy East and climate change policy.

Energy East Pipeline Would Threaten 60% Of Manitobans' Drinking Water: Report

WINNIPEG - A new report says a pipeline that would carry one million barrels of oil daily from Alberta to the East Coast would threaten the drinking water of more than 60 per cent of Manitoba residents.

The report by the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition said a rupture on the proposed Energy East pipeline would seep into any number of waterways which feed into Winnipeg's water supply.

NEB expecting record participation in Energy East hearings

Starting this week, the National Energy Board is bracing for an avalanche of thousands of applications from people seeking to speak up about the controversial Energy East pipeline. The Energy East project proposes to push Alberta bitumen to Atlantic coasts.  

"I think there is an opportunity — given the size of the pipeline, and the high level of interest — that it could be a record number of participants,” said Katherine Murphy, an NEB spokesperson in Calgary.

The 30-day online application process opened up Tuesday.

Oil train trouble in Toronto: citizens demand answers

A Toronto neighbourhood group, alarmed by what appears to be a surge in oil trains rumbling past their urban backyards, is taking the unusual step of urging the Auditor General of Canada to intervene to help it get answers to safety concerns.

The group, called Safe Rail Communities, says it has been asking basic questions to CN, CP Rail and the federal government about the safety of transporting these explosive fuels, but found the responses lacking.

“We’re getting stonewalled,” said Helen Vassilakos, co-founder of Safe Rail Communities, who lives near the train tracks.

Why Energy East Will Fail the Quebec and Ontario Climate Test

Last week, the governments of Quebec and Ontario imposed seven conditions on the Energy East pipeline project. Among them was a condition that the pipeline receive a"full environmental assessment that looks at impact of the project on greenhouse gas emissions". While one would think that the first consideration for building new fossil fuel infrastructure is the climate impact, the Canadian government has abdicated their responsibility to act on climate, so (unfortunately) this is a big deal.

TransCanada hires controversial PR firm to derail opposition to Energy East pipeline

There are now multiple news articles that report Calgary-based TransCanada hired the controversial public relations firm Edelman in an attempt to derail growing public opposition to its proposed 1.1 million barrels per day Energy East tar sands pipeline. The PR firm began working for TransCanada in February and submitted detailed proposals to them in May and August.

Among the various tactics to be undertaken, Edelman proposed in their Promote, Respond, Pressure document to "prepare a research profile of key opposition groups by examining public records (including financial disclosures, legal databases and legislative records), traditional media sources (news databases such as Lexis-Nexis and Factiva) and social media (Facebook, Twitter and other relevant sites). ...We will begin with the Council of Canadians. Other possibilities include Equiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, Avaaz and Ecology Ottawa." The overall plan was to "add layers of difficulty for our opponents, distracting them from their mission and causing them to redirect their resources."

TransCanada public relations documents on Energy East raise concerns

TransCanada PipeLines acknowledges it considered aggressive tactics such as using proxy groups to attack opponents of the company's proposed Energy East pipeline.

But the Calgary-based pipeline company (TSX:TCA.PR.X) says it did not accept those recommendations outlined in leaked documents from the Edelman public relations firm obtained by Greenpeace.

"Everything that Edelman put forward we've considered," said James Millar, TransCanada's director of communications. "But then it comes down to implementation, and that's not something that we've implemented."

TransCanada files application for Energy East

CALGARY - After dozens of open houses and thousands of conversations across six provinces, TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) has filed its regulatory application for its massive cross-Canada Energy East pipeline.

But the hard part for TransCanada (TSX:TRP) was just beginning Thursday as copies of the document — each fills 68 binders in 11 boxes — arrived at the National Energy Board's headquarters in Calgary.

Landowner refuses to surrender property for Energy East pipeline

Rick Verge was shocked when a TransCanada land agent knocked on his door in Titusville, N.B., last year and offered him $1000 to conduct a land survey in exchange for his signature. He refused. He said the land agent showed him a photo in a brochure of what his land would look like after TransCanada was finished with construction.

The only problem is that the photo in the brochure was a field where there is now a forest, said Verge.

“It’s a forest we use all the time. We have trails through there, campfires, it’s used regularly. To cut a 300 foot swath right through the middle of that, which is what they plan to do, would wreck it,” said Verge.

Premiers united over ‘extraordinary’ Energy East pipeline project

While opposition to the proposed Energy East pipeline might be heating up, the new premiers of Alberta and New Brunswick are united in their support for the project intended to link the oilsands to East Coast refineries.Alberta Premier Jim Prentice met with New Brunswick’s Premier Brian Gallant on Monday at McDougall Centre, with each promising to support TransCanada Pipeline’s planned project.

“The essence of this, in terms of our two provinces, this is an extraordinary opportunity,” said Prentice, who won the leadership of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government last month.

“Allowing Alberta’s energy, in partnership with the people of New Brunswick, to access the Atlantic basin ... will afford prosperity to both our provinces.”