Editor:
I would like to correct some inaccuracies in a Letter to the Editor submitted by Carlie Kearns published in the Houston Today on May 28.
In her letter, Ms. Kearns claims that oil spills with the Northern Gateway Project would be ‘inevitable.’ This is an unfortunate misrepresentation of the facts. Pipelines are the safest method of transporting fuels, as they have the least amount of releases of any transportation mode. Enbridge delivers almost a billion barrels of hydrocarbons a year through its pipeline system with a safety record of 99.99 percent, which speaks volumes for our commitment to safety.
Judge us by what we’ve done year in, year out in all types of terrain through our 60 year history. Safety is our highest priority. This means adopting advanced leak prevention and pipeline integrity management technologies, following environmentally sound practices and taking a proactive approach to pipeline testing and repair.
In her letter, Ms. Kearns claims that the Northern Gateway Project would be ‘exporting jobs’ to Pacific Rim countries, suggesting little benefit to B.C. That is most assuredly false.
In fact, once the Northern Gateway Project is running, 1,150 permanent jobs are expected to be created, some 560 in B.C. These are good, well-paying jobs amounting to $32 million a year in labour-related income in B.C. alone. During the construction phase, $4.3 billion of labour-related income will be realized across Canada, much of it in B.C. It’s estimated the project will contribute $1.2 billion in tax revenue for the B.C. government over 30 years.
That’s a staggering financial benefit that will come to British Columbians helping to fund schools, hospitals and social programs B.C. residents have come to expect. Northern Gateway is a smart, safe, and strategic way to connect our most valuable export to the developing markets that need it.
Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight on the Northern Gateway Project.
John Carruthers
President, Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
