Dozens of people turned up to voice their concerns at a public information session on the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline on Saturday.
It was the first time the company has ever hosted such a public event on the proposed Trans Mountain expansion in Metro Vancouver.
For the company, it was a chance to present its side of the controversial project, which aims to double capacity by twinning the existing pipeline that runs from Edmonton through several B.C. communities. The pipeline supplies tankers at a terminal in Burnaby.
But for months, the pipeline’s critics have been waging a campaign against the project, with the largest display of opposition being a 3,000-strong demonstration at the B.C. legislature in Victoria two weeks ago. Participants there protested against both the Kinder Morgan pipeline, and the Northern Gateway pipeline.
“A big project like this is always going to have controversy around it and we respect that, and sessions like this are an important part of getting input into the project,” said Kinder Morgan spokesperson Mike Davies. “We understand we may not be able to satisfy everyone’s desires, but we’re going to try to hear them all and try to make sure people’s concerns are addressed in the design of the project.”
Davies says Kinder Morgan has many safety measures in place, including making sure tankers are double-hulled, and that they contain separated cargo compartments, so that the whole cargo won’t be impacted if there is an accident. Ships will also have two B.C. coast pilots on board, and will be tethered to tug boat escorts as they move through Vancouver Harbour and the Gulf Islands, he said.
Still, many opponents to the project are skeptical.
Larry Day said his biggest concern is oil spills. He says he finds the maps of the tankers’ routes displayed at the public hearing misleading.
“I don’t see anything here that really reassures me that we’re not going toKinde have problems down the road,” he adds.
Len Laycock said he found the public hearing to be more like a “sales centre for condos.” He said he had asked about the chemical composition of the oil that would be flowing through the twinned pipelines because he is concerned about carcinogens, but according to him, he was not given a straight answer.
“Really, the public is not to know about the health risks of the products in the pipes,” he said. “What we need here is transparency, and not to dodge.”
More information sessions are expected to take place in B.C. in the next five weeks. Information about those can be found at http://talk.transmountain.com/key_date/index/1.
With files from CTV British Columbia’s Penny Daflos
