Langley Township isn’t getting answers from Kinder Morgan Canada about details of its plan for an expanded oil pipeline running through Langley.
A report to the Township council Monday details the lengthy list of questions submitted to Kinder Morgan about the proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.
“The answers received from KMC [Kinder Morgan Canada] on June 4, 2014 were inadequate and lacking in detail,†said a Township report written by Roeland Zwaag, director of public works.
The Trans Mountain pipeline has run through Langley for half a century, pumping oil from Alberta to a refinery in Burnaby.
Kinder Morgan is now interested in increasing capacity to almost triple the current level. That would require putting in new pipe, and in some areas in changing the route of the entire line. Changes proposed for Langley could re-route the pipeline near the Redwoods Golf Course in Walnut Grove, a future Township park.
The Township asked questions on 19 topics, mostly related to environmental protection and cleanup, pipeline design, emergency response, impact on municipal infrastructure, and construction.
“The responses received from KMC did not adequately address the areas of concern,†said the report.
In response, the Township submitted a motion to the National Energy Board (NEB) requesting that Kinder Morgan be compelled to provide more information.
That did not happen.
The NEB only granted one motion, and the updated response “did not provide any further information or detail,†said the Township report.
The next step for the Township is to prepare to file evidence as an intervenor in the NEB review of the pipeline plan.
At present, the Township is registered as “neutral†on the pipeline, rather than in favour or opposed.
The provincial government has also criticized Kinder Morgan recently, with Premier Christy Clark demanding more details of the company’s spill response plan.
Township council was to receive the report at its Monday afternoon meeting.
– with files from the Vancouver Sun
