Last week, in a statement, that should not have come as a surprise, the federal government endorsed the 209 conditions set forth by the joint review panel, effectively approving Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline project.
British Columbians were quick to voice their displeasure with the federal governments decision, with statements from various politicians speaking out against the pipeline and a protest was organized in downtown Vancouver later that evening.
A group of First Nations, including the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, the Union of B.C. Chiefs, the B.C. Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Summit, among over 20 others will immediately go to court to pursue all lawful means to stop the pipeline project from being built.
Enbridge must still meet the 209 conditions for approval the joint review panel put forward, as well meet the five conditions from the B.C. government.
Those five conditions include, successful completion of the environmental review process, meaning they would need recommendation from the National Energy Board to proceed, world leading oil spill response, prevention and recovery systems, world leading practices for land oil spill prevention, response and recovery systems, meet legal requirements regarding aboriginal land and treaty rights and that B.C. receives a fair share of the fiscal and economical benefits.
According the Enbridge, the 1177 kilometre pipeline that will carry 525,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from Alberta, west to Kitimat will have enormous benefits to B.C., including the creation of 3000 jobs during construction, generate $1.2 billion in tax revenue over the next 30 years and contribute $300 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Do these benefits offset concerns about environmental protection? No.
Will the jobs created benefit the communities in Northern B.C.?
The problem with these stated benefits is that the company that Enbridge contracts to build the pipeline will hire workers with the job and skills training.
This could mean the hiring of workers from outside the region that would come in to Burns Lake and the related communities to work, then once the work is done they would leave.
Yes, this benefits B.C., but it doesn’t benefit the people living in the communities with the most at risk.
The Lakes District is home to some of the most beautiful fishing lakes, and the community is being asked to potentially sacrifice the well being of those lakes with little benefits to our communities.
It’s the province that stands to benefit from the construction of the pipeline.
The British Petroleum oil spill of 2010 has caused tremendous harm to the marine and wildlife habitats and the fishing and tourism industries near the Gulf of Mexico, specifically in Louisiana and Florida.
While only a remote possibility, an oil spill would kill the vibrant fishing community in the area.
Unfortunately, oil is the fuel source that is dependant upon.
It is depended upon to fill up the boats that are used to fish and the trucks that are used to haul those boats.
Until an alternative fuel source can be substituted, it seems that the dependency on oil will lead to the building of bitumen pipelines and to the possible destruction of our environment.
